Erik ten Hag, Xabi Alonso’s successor at Bayer Leverkusen, suffers humiliating debut loss to Flamengo U-20s
Erik ten Hag has been tasked with continuing the legacy left by Spanish manager Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, but the former Manchester United boss didn’t enjoy the ideal start. In his debut match, Leverkusen suffered a shocking 5–1 loss to Flamengo’s U-20 team, in an opening performance to forget.
After attracting interest from Real Madrid, Alonso opted to leave Leverkusen after leading the club to its first-ever Bundesliga title. In response, the German side appointed Ten Hag, who has prior experience in German football as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Bayern Munich, with hopes of sustaining the club’s recent success.
Leverkusen’s preseason tour began in Brazil, with Rio de Janeiro as their first stop. The team arrived on Tuesday, July 15, for a matchup against Flamengo’s U-20 side. Leverkusen were heavy favorites heading into the game, but the outcome was anything but expected.
At Estádio da Gávea, Ten Hag fielded a rotated starting XI, with striker Victor Boniface the only familiar name. Flamengo’s youngsters wasted no time, taking a 4–0 lead into halftime with goals from Lorran, Matheus Gonçalves (2), and Pedro Leão. Just after the break, Gusttavo added a fifth, capping off an embarrassing result for the Bundesliga runner-ups.
Looking to salvage some pride, Ten Hag brought on regular starters including Alejandro Grimaldo, Granit Xhaka, Patrick Schick, and Exequiel Palacios. Leverkusen managed to pull one back, but the damage had been done. Flamengo, who won the U-20 Copa Libertadores two times in a row, had thoroughly outplayed their senior-level opposition.
Ten Hag’s decision to start mostly backups is understandable in preseason, but a 5–1 defeat to a youth team has raised eyebrows. It’s a shaky start for a coach stepping into the shoes of Alonso, whose tactical identity and results set a high standard in Germany.
What’s next for Bayer Leverkusen?
The loss to Flamengo marked just the beginning of Leverkusen’s preseason. Their Brazil tour wraps up on Friday, with upcoming matches against VfL Bochum, Fortuna Sittard, Italian side Pisa, and Chelsea on August 8.
Leverkusen will begin their competitive season on August 15 in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, facing fourth-division side SG Sonnenhof Großaspach. Despite the rough start, Ten Hag still has time to shape his squad, though the departures of stars Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool leave significant gaps to fill.