Leverkusen Continue Perfect Europa League Start With Victory Over Lech Poznań

Bayer Leverkusen maintained their winning start to the Europa League campaign with victory over Polish champions Lech Poznań on Thursday evening.

Carles Martínez's side entered the encounter looking to build on their opening 2-0 success against NK Celje and secure another valuable result in the league phase.

The win continues Leverkusen's positive momentum after successive Bundesliga victories over RB Leipzig and Mainz, giving the Werkself further confidence as they navigate a demanding October schedule.

Schick Steps Up After Early Injury Blow

Martínez made six changes to the starting lineup following the 4-3 Bundesliga victory over Mainz, giving several players an opportunity to impress.

However, the evening began with a setback when Martin Terrier suffered an early injury and had to be replaced by Patrik Schick.

The Czech striker quickly made his presence felt, converting a penalty in the 29th minute to give Leverkusen the lead.

Just three minutes later, Malik Tillman doubled the advantage, providing a timely response amid recent reports questioning his future at the club.

Schick then converted another penalty in the 40th minute, sending Die Werkself into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead.

Tillman Responds To Transfer Speculation

Tillman's goal was particularly significant given the uncertainty surrounding his situation.

Sky Sport Germany recently reported that both the American international and Leverkusen are dissatisfied with his sporting development, with a January loan emerging as a possible solution.

Against Lech Poznań, however, Tillman demonstrated that he can still make a meaningful contribution to Martínez's plans.

His first-half strike helped the Werkself take complete control of the encounter and offered a reminder of the attacking quality that convinced the club to sign him.

Ibrahim Maza added a fourth goal in the 89th minute, completing a comprehensive 4-0 victory.

Perfect Start Continues In Europe

Leverkusen have now collected six points from their opening two Europa League fixtures, scoring six goals without conceding.

The result also extends their impressive record in the competition, with the Werkself now winning eight consecutive Europa League league-phase or group-stage matches.

Perhaps most encouragingly, Martínez secured another convincing result despite rotating his squad.

With domestic and European commitments arriving in quick succession, that depth could prove essential in the coming weeks.

Bayer return to Bundesliga action against Freiburg before travelling to face OFI Crete in their next Europa League fixture on October 22.

For now, two matches and two victories represent an ideal start to a competition the club hopes to challenge for this season.

From here the stage only gets bigger.