Dhaka, Aug. 23 -- Bayer Leverkusen suffered a shock 2-1 home loss to Hoffenheim in their Bundesliga season opener on Saturday to hand new coach Erik ten Hag a losing league debut.

Despite going 1-0 up, it was not the performance Dutchman Ten Hag, who replaced Xabi Alonso after the departures of star player Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah and Granit Xhaka, had wanted.

The 2024 German domestic double winners and last season's runners-up lacked ideas and precision up front while their backline badly missed Tah's dominant presence.

Hoffenheim hit the post through Tim Lemperle after two minutes but Leverkusen scored first when Jarell Qansah headed in for a sixth-minute lead.

Fisnik Asllani, however, bagged a 25th-minute equal...