- No victory at the rehearsal: Leverkusen 1 to 1 against Sevilla
New signing Jeanuel Belocian saved double winners Bayer Leverkusen from a dudded dress rehearsal for the upcoming Bundesliga season. The French U21 international, signed from Stade Rennes, scored the equalizer in the 78th minute against Spanish opponents Real Betis Sevilla, securing a 1:1 draw. In front of nearly 30,000 spectators at the BayArena, Juanmi had put the Spanish league leaders ahead in the 52nd minute.
While Leverkusen, under successful coach Xabi Alonso, showed more commitment than in their poor performance against FC Arsenal (1:4) last Wednesday, they remained winless. This was Leverkusen's final test before their first competitive match next Saturday (20:30 CET) in the Supercup against runners-up VfB Stuttgart.
Notable was the appearance of Jonathan Tah. Despite being rumored as a new signing for FC Bayern for weeks, he started in the lineup. It seems the move to Munich has fallen through, with indications that the 28-year-old will enter his tenth season with Bayer.
After the match, which was part of Leverkusen's official season opening, a penalty shootout took place. Both teams aimed to simulate the pressure of knockout games. Leverkusen emerged victorious, 3:1, thanks to three saves by goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
Despite speculations of joining FC Bayern as a new signing, Jonathan Tah played for Bayer Leverkusen, showing that other potential transfers, including himself, were not finalized. Following the draw against Real Betis Sevilla, Leverkusen conducted a penalty shootout to prepare for potential knockout scenarios, with other teams and their unique playing styles also in consideration.
