Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken did not hold back in his criticism of his team following their disappointing 3-2 defeat against SV Elversberg this past Saturday. While the Bundesliga newcomers were widely praised for their historic performance, Flekken focused his attention on the systemic failures within his own squad.
The match began poorly for the Werkself, who found themselves trailing 2-0 within the first nine minutes. Despite the halftime interval, the team struggled to regain composure and conceded a third goal almost immediately after the restart. Although a late rally was attempted, it ultimately fell short of securing a result. Newly appointed captain Edmond Tapsoba, who struggled during the match, has since taken responsibility for the defensive lapses.
The current situation has drawn comparisons to Leverkusen’s difficult start last season, which saw head coach Erik ten Hag dismissed after only two matchdays. That period also saw midfielder Robert Andrich, who had been named captain by Ten Hag, removed from the leadership group shortly after the manager’s departure.
Managerial Perspective
Leverkusen trainer Carles Martinez offered a more measured reaction to the loss. He credited Elversberg for playing an “incredible game” and maintained that his players had not underestimated the opposition, despite the poor start.
Flekken’s Assessment
Flekken was significantly more critical of the team’s collective mindset, stating, “A lot was missing today.” He told Sky Germany that the team must address their approach to the start of both halves. “With the mentality and attitude we showed, we can’t win a game. Mental capacity was missing. Energy was missing. Understanding of the game was missing,” he added. While Flekken noted he did not want to “throw the whole team under the bus” given the length of the season, he emphasized that the current level of performance is unacceptable. The report also notes that a late comeback ultimately proved insufficient. The report also notes that one cannot help but draw parallels to Leverkusen’s problematic start last season. The report also notes that leverkusen once again find themselves in the midst of a major personnel upheaval. The report also notes that “If you already start the first half like that, go 2-0 down very early, and then repeat it again in the second half, then quite a lot is missing,” Flekken continued. The report also notes that elversberg vs Leverkusen line-ups confirmed as Tapsoba captains and Tillman starts OffsAIde. The report also notes that lineups, predictions (Bundesliga 29/08) Playmakerstats, pREVIEW | SV 07 Elversberg vs Bayer Leverkusen: team news.
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