Erik ten Hag Endures Nightmare Start at Bayer Leverkusen as Bundesliga Side Are Thrashed 5–1 by Flamengo Under-20s in Brazil

Erik ten Hag’s tenure as Bayer Leverkusen manager got off to the worst possible start with a humiliating 5–1 defeat at the hands of Flamengo’s Under-20 side in Brazil.

The Dutchman, who was dismissed by Manchester United last October after securing just three wins in their opening nine matches, was appointed by Leverkusen in May as the successor to Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard departed to take charge at Real Madrid after guiding Leverkusen to an historic unbeaten domestic double in the 2023/24 season — a tough act to follow by any measure.

Ten Hag’s first outing saw the Bundesliga champions travel to Brazil to face Flamengo’s youth team in their opening pre-season fixture. He opted to stick with Alonso’s title-winning 3-4-2-1 system and named a strong starting line-up that included new goalkeeper Mark Flekken — a summer arrival from Brentford — along with senior players Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface.

However, things unravelled almost immediately. Flamengo struck inside the opening two minutes and doubled their advantage within ten. A third goal followed soon after, and just as Ten Hag appeared to be regaining control, his side conceded a fourth on the stroke of half-time.

In response, the manager had already withdrawn both Flekken and Boniface by the 36th minute. Yet he opted against making further changes at the break — a decision that backfired when Flamengo netted a fifth less than ten minutes into the second half.

At the hour mark, Ten Hag made wholesale changes, substituting every remaining starter, including the two who had already been taken off earlier. Granit Xhaka, Álex Grimaldo and Patrick Schick were among those introduced in a bid to restore some pride.

It was 18-year-old academy talent Montrell Culbreath who eventually gave Leverkusen something to celebrate, scoring a consolation goal in the 71st minute. Though the German champions managed to stabilise in the closing stages, the damage had already been done — and Ten Hag was left to reflect on a punishing debut in charge.

The loss marks Leverkusen’s first significant setback since the departures of star players Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, who joined Liverpool in a combined deal worth £145.5 million earlier in the summer.

In addition to Flekken, the club have bolstered their squad with the arrivals of Jarrell Quansah and Malik Tillman. Preparations for the new campaign continue with upcoming friendlies against VfL Bochum, Fortuna Sittard, Pisa, and Chelsea.

Slow starts are not unfamiliar territory for Ten Hag. At Manchester United, his first competitive match ended in a 2–1 home defeat to Brighton in August 2022, followed by a 4–0 drubbing at Brentford — leaving the Red Devils bottom of the table after just two games.