Jul 27, 2024; Inglewood, CA, USA; Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag watches a game against the Arsenal from the sideline during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

soccer

Erik ten Hag Suffers Nightmare Start As Bayer Leverkusen Thrashed 5–1 by Flamengo U20s

The Dutch manager had spent months out of management before taking over at Leverkusen following Xabi Alonso’s move to Real Madrid.

Erik ten Hag’s reign as Bayer Leverkusen manager began in disastrous fashion as the Bundesliga team suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Flamengo’s Under-20 side in a pre-season friendly on Friday in Rio de Janeiro. Notably, Ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United in October after a disappointing start to the 2024/25 campaign.

The Dutch manager had spent months out of management before taking over at Leverkusen following Xabi Alonso’s move to Real Madrid. However, his return to the dugout could not have started any worse as his side were stunned by Flamengo’s youngsters in their first fixture the pre-season.

Full-time in Rio.

90+4' | 5-1 | #FLAB04 | #esquentaB04 pic.twitter.com/Fz9MEK3dTw
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) July 18, 2025

Flamengo U20s Shock Bayer Leverkusen

The Bundesliga runners-up found themselves 2-0 down inside 10 minutes. Flamengo’s Lorran opened the scoring from a swift counter-attack before a calamitous own goal from Arthur compounded Leverkusen’s misery. Erik ten Hag’s side continued to unravel as they conceded twice more before half-time through Matheus Goncalves and Pedro Leao.

After the break, Flamengo U20s continued to dominate and Gusttavo added a fifth goal for the Brazilian side. After conceding the fifth goal, Ten Hag made some changes to give other players a chance. He substituted new goalkeeper Mark Flekken and striker Victor Boniface before half-time as the rout unfolded.

Granit Xhaka, Patrick Schick, Nathan Tella, and other first-teamers came on to restore some pride. However, all Leverkusen managed to muster was a solitary consolation goal through 17-year-old Montrell Culbreath. The damage was already done and this heavy defeat marked a nightmare beginning for Ten Hag in Germany.

Also Read: Luka Modric Picks No. 14 at AC Milan in Tribute to Carlo Ancelotti

Leverkusen’s pre-season continues with matches against VfL Bochum, Fortuna Sittard, Pisa, and Chelsea in the coming weeks. Erik ten Hag will hope to steady the ship after a bruising introduction to life back on the touchline. Their first competitive fixture comes against SG in the DFB-Pokal on 15 August, followed by the Bundesliga opener at home to Hoffenheim on 23 August.

Bayer Leverkusen

Bundesliga

Erik Ten Hag

Flamengo

Abhinav Goel

soccer

I am a soccer writer at The PlayOffs, covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives. Ever since I was a kid, soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession. Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion, eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting. Now, I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide.