Nathan Tella came off the bench to score as Bayer Leverkusen opened their 2026/27 season with a convincing 4-0 win over Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the DFB Pokal on Saturday.
The Nigerian international was introduced in the 65th minute and wasted little time making his mark, finding the back of the net just four minutes later to help Leverkusen book their place in the next round of the competition.
Leverkusen controlled proceedings for much of the first half but struggled to turn their dominance into goals until the 43rd minute, when Patrik Schick broke the deadlock to send Carles Martínez side into the interval with a deserved 1-0 advantage.
The visitors came out with greater attacking intent after the restart and doubled their lead just two minutes into the second half, with Lucas Vázquez finding the net to put Leverkusen firmly in control.
More Read
Tella, Jarell Quansah and Christian Kofane were subsequently introduced, with the changes adding further energy to an already dominant Leverkusen side.
Tella then made his presence felt in the 69th minute, finishing to extend Leverkusen’s advantage to 3-0 and effectively put the result beyond doubt.
Kofane completed the scoring 10 minutes later as Leverkusen wrapped up a comfortable victory and secured their passage into the next round of the DFB Pokal.
Following their successful cup opener, Leverkusen will now turn their attention to the Bundesliga, where they are scheduled to begin their league campaign away to Elversberg on Saturday, August 29.
Tella will be looking to build on his impressive cameo when Leverkusen return to league action, while fellow Nigerian Victor Boniface, who remained an unused substitute against Wehen Wiesbaden, will be hoping to make his first appearance of the new season.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
