Bayer Leverkusen Dominates Genk 4-0 in Pre-Season Opener

Bayer Leverkusen’s pre-season is starting to sound like a warning.

Back at the compact Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion, usually the stage for youth fixtures, Die Werkself brushed aside Genk 4-0 on Wednesday to keep their summer record spotless. The scoreline was emphatic. The patterns behind it were even more encouraging.

Belocian sets the tone

Leverkusen didn’t need long to settle. Edmond Tapsoba, stepping out from the back with the authority of a playmaker, sliced Genk open with an incisive through ball. Jeanuel Belocian timed his run, took it in stride and finished to open the scoring, a defender’s goal with a forward’s calm.

Loïc Badé thought he had joined him on the scoresheet, only to see his effort ruled out for offside. The celebration was brief, the message less so: Leverkusen’s centre-backs were not content to simply defend.

The pressure stayed high. Carles Martínez’s side hunted in packs in the final third, and the reward arrived before the interval. Jonas Hofmann snapped into action after another turnover, threading a smart ball into Nathan Tella, who doubled the lead with a composed finish. Genk were two down and chasing shadows.

Moreira steals the show

If the first half belonged to the defenders and the press, the second belonged to Afonso Moreira.

The former Lyon attacker has wasted no time settling in, and he extended his remarkable streak of scoring in every pre-season outing. This time it was a clinical strike, the sort of finish that makes a coach rethink his depth chart. One chance, one goal. Simple, ruthless.

Genk barely had time to reset. Leverkusen struck again within minutes, and once more Moreira was at the heart of it. Drifting into space on the left, he combined sharply before sliding a well-measured pass across for Christian Kofane, who applied the finishing touch for the fourth. A goal and an assist in a matter of moments; a pre-season cameo with real weight.

By the hour mark, Martínez had seen enough to rotate heavily, changing the entire lineup. The intensity dipped, as it often does in friendlies, but the damage was long done. The structure held, the clean sheet stayed intact, and the scoreboard told a simple story: 4-0, again convincing.

A left-wing battle with a clear favourite

Behind the scoreline, selection battles are starting to take shape. With Kerim Alajbegovic and Martin Terrier edging towards the exit, the left flank is opening up. Moreira is not just filling minutes; he is staking a claim.

Four pre-season goals. An assist for the final strike against Genk. A consistent threat from the wing, direct and decisive. For a club that thrives on internal competition, he is making the argument himself: when the season starts, that left-wing spot should be his.

Friendly or not, nights like this at Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion linger in a coach’s mind.