Bayer Leverkusen could hardly have asked for a better response. After suffering a surprise 3-2 defeat away to newly promoted Elversberg on the opening weekend, the Werkself returned to the BayArena and dismantled Union Berlin 4-0, producing the kind of dominant performance that will have immediately eased some of the early concerns surrounding Carles Martínez's side.

Leverkusen needed just 44 seconds to make their intentions clear. The new signing, Miguel Gutiérrez, operating from the left, reached the byline and cut the ball back for Ezequiel Fernández, who finished from close range to register his first goal for the club. It was an early example of Gutiérrez's attacking influence and set the tone for an afternoon in which Leverkusen repeatedly found space in the wide areas.

Union struggled to respond.

Leverkusen controlled possession, pushed the visitors deep, and consistently recovered the ball in advanced areas. The second goal arrived in the 28th minute, with Facundo Medina finishing to give the hosts a 2-0 advantage at the break. Union had very little going forward, with Leverkusen's defensive structure preventing the visitors from establishing any sustained pressure.

The second half was even more convincing. Patrik Schick doubled the advantage in the 48th minute, before the Algerian star, Ibrahim Maza, completed the scoring in the 66th. Maza's contribution was another positive for Martínez: the young midfielder not only got on the scoresheet but also created chances and continued his impressive start to the campaign.

Yet perhaps the standout performance belonged to Miguel Gutiérrez.

The Spaniard finished with an impressive 9.3 Sofascore rating, while recording two assists, 89% passing accuracy, and two big chances created. His influence was particularly notable given that he was effectively filling the enormous attacking void left by Alejandro Grimaldo. The opening goal itself demonstrated exactly what Leverkusen want from him: width, penetration and quality from the final third.

Gutiérrez was not simply providing crosses from deep. He repeatedly pushed forward, combined with Leverkusen's attacking midfielders, and helped stretch Union's defensive block. StatMuse credited him with four chances created and two big chances created, underlining just how important he was to the victory.

There was also a welcome milestone for the club as Moussa Diaby made his Bundesliga return for Leverkusen, while Robert Andrich made his 200th competitive appearance for the Werkself.

For Martínez, this was exactly the response Leverkusen needed.

One week after an alarming defeat, they produced a performance full of control, attacking quality, and defensive solidity.

From here the stage only gets bigger.