BERLIN: Bundesliga newcomers Elversberg kick-started their first top-flight campaign in style, stunning 2023-24 champions Bayer Leverkusen in a dominant 3-2 home victory on Saturday.

Lukas Petkov and American striker Cole Campbell scored within 60 seconds of each other to put Elversberg 2-0 up before the 10-minute mark.

David Mokwa added another early in the second-half. Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick and Christian Kofane scored late, but it was not enough to prevent a famous victory for the minnows.

Elversberg has a population of just 13,000, making the club the smallest in German top-flight history.

Just 9,307 fans were able to watch the surprise win in the club’s home ground, which is still under construction.

Leverkusen looked disorganised and lacked energy until late, showing coach Carles Novell has work to do after taking over in the summer.

Elsewhere, RB Leipzig cruised to a 3-0 home win over Borussia Moenchengladbach, with former Chelsea and France forward Christopher Nkunku setting up a goal on his return to the club.

Ridle Baku’s first-half goal came against the run of play for Leipzig but the hosts took control when Antonio Nusa produced a stunning, curling effort early in the second-half.

Nkunku, who scored 70 goals in a four-year spell at Leipzig before his Chelsea move, came on midway through the second-half and set up a goal for former Gladbach forward Rocco Reitz just two minutes later.

Leipzig have been drawn to face Manchester City and Real Madrid on their return to the Champions League after missing Europe completely last season.

In Berlin, home side Union came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt, cancelling out Younes Ebnoutalib’s hat-trick for the visitors.

Union’s Tim Skarke scored in the third minute of stoppage time to level things up for the hosts.

Elsewhere, substitute Thijs Dallinga bagged a double and Germany starlet Said El Mala scored a dazzling solo effort as Cologne came from behind twice to beat Hoffenheim 3-2.

Hosts Mainz played out a scoreless draw with promoted Paderborn.

On Friday, Bayern Munich got their title defence off to a blistering start, steamrolling past Stuttgart 5-1 in a rematch of last season’s German Cup final.

Goals from Dayot Upamecano, Michael Olise, Aleksandar Pav­lovic and Luis Diaz capped a superb performance from the hosts during which they also missed several other opportunities.

It was a mixed night for Stuttgart’s Josha Vagnoman, who scored at both ends having briefly equalised early in the second half, as Bayern extended their unbeaten run in their opening game of the new campaign to 15 matches.

They took the lead on 21 minutes when Upamecano headed home Joshua Kimmich’s corner from close-range, deftly glancing the ball into the net.

Both teams hit the woodwork in the first half but Bayern led by the narrowest of margins at the break.

Stuttgart levelled seven minutes into the second period when Jeff Chabot was denied by a fine save from Manuel Neuer, but Vagnoman fired in the rebound.

Their joy was short-lived though as two Bayern strikes in three minutes proved decisive.

First Olise had time and space to finish after Kimmich latched onto Angelo Stiller’s poor pass and the unfortunate Vagnoman then bundled Alphonso Davies low cross into his own net as he slipped while trying to clear.

Olise had a goal ruled out for offside and Diaz was denied on several occasions, but Bayern did get their fourth when Ismael Saibari put the ball on a plate for Pavlovic to score a tap-in.

Diaz finally got his goal with a late strike from Saibari’s pass to cap an ominous display from the Bavarians.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2026