LEVERKUSEN: Nine-man Bayer Leverkusen clinched their first win of the Bundesliga season with a hard-fought 31 victory over fellow Champions League contenders Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday thanks to Alex Grimaldo’s double strike, marking a successful debut for new coach Kasper Hjulmand.

Hjulmand took over this week following the sacking of Erik ten Hag after Leverkusen failed to win either of their first two league matches.

The hosts looked sharper under the Dane, quickly taking control and leaving Eintracht, who had won their previous two league matches this season, to play a supporting role in the first half. But Lever­kusen had two players sent off in the second half.

The result ended Frankfurt’s unbeaten run of eight matches that stretched back to last season.

Leverkusen, who travel to FC Copenhagen in their Champions League opener next week, opened their account with Spain international Grimaldo’s stunning 25-metre free kick into the top corner.

Patrik Schick bagged a second goal with a stoppage time penalty, awarded for a foul on Nathan Tella.

The visitors, who host Galatasaray next week in the Champions League, pulled a goal back seven min­utes after the restart with Can Uzun’s volley and in the 59th Leverkusen saw captain Robert Andrich dismissed with a second booking.

The hosts then were left with nine players after Ezequiel Fernandez got his marching orders with a second yellow card in a bad-tempered finale before Grimaldo settled nerves with another superbly taken free kick in stoppage time.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2025