Carles Martínez's first Bundesliga match as Leverkusen coach ended in a 3-2 defeat at newly promoted Elversberg, with the hosts producing a stunning opening-day upset after racing into a three-goal lead.

For a side making its first-ever Bundesliga appearance, Elversberg showed no signs of being overwhelmed by the occasion. Instead, they attacked Leverkusen from the opening whistle and exposed a visiting defence that repeatedly struggled to cope with the intensity and directness of the hosts.

Leverkusen were 2-0 down inside the opening 10 minutes, immediately putting Martínez's side into damage-control mode. The atmosphere at the Ursapharm-Arena only intensified as Elversberg continued to play with the confidence of a team that had nothing to lose.

The result was particularly damaging for Leverkusen because they had arrived with considerable optimism. Martínez had made a winning start in the DFB-Pokal the previous weekend, when Leverkusen defeated Wehen Wiesbaden 4-0, with Patrik Schick, Lucas Vázquez, Nathan Tella and Christian Kofane all finding the net.

Against Elversberg, however, the defensive problems were impossible to hide.

The promoted side exploited spaces around Leverkusen's defensive structure and repeatedly found ways to attack quickly after winning possession. Elversberg had already shown during their promotion campaign that they were capable of playing aggressive, organised football, and they brought that same approach to their Bundesliga debut. The club's rise has been remarkable: only a few years ago they were playing against reserve sides in Germany's fourth tier; now they were taking a three-goal lead against the 2024 Bundesliga champions.

Leverkusen desperately needed a response, and Patrik Schick provided it with a moment of individual quality.

The Czech striker produced an exquisite backheel finish to pull one goal back, giving Leverkusen a route back into the match and reminding everyone of the quality still available to Martínez in attack.

The goal changed the momentum.

Leverkusen began throwing more bodies forward and increasing the pressure, but Elversberg continued to threaten on the counter. The hosts had built their advantage through aggression and verticality, and now they were able to defend deeper and attack the spaces left behind by Leverkusen's increasingly desperate shape.

With time running out, Die Werkself found another lifeline in stoppage time. Nathan Tella pulled another goal back to make it 3-2, suddenly turning what had looked like a comfortable Elversberg victory into a frantic finale.

But the equaliser never came.

Elversberg held on to claim one of the biggest victories in the club's history and, on their first day in the Bundesliga, immediately announced that they are not planning simply to make up the numbers.

For Leverkusen, the defeat raises much bigger questions.

The attacking quality is clearly there. Schick's finish, the late response, and the four-goal performance in the cup against Wehen all point to a team capable of creating and scoring. But conceding three goals to a newly promoted side, and falling 3-0 behind before mounting a late comeback, highlights serious problems in defensive control and game management.

Martínez had spoken before the match about wanting to see energy, passion, and the ideas his team had worked on during pre-season. Well, that wasn't enough.

For Leverkusen, the new chapter has started with a warning.