Jonas Hofmann brace keeps Bayer Leverkusen perfect in Europe

Jonas Hofmann turned his first start of the season into a brace as Bayer Leverkusen beat OFI 2-0 in the Europa League on Crete. He scored in the 35th and 38th minutes, then went off in the 63rd after missing a chance for a hat-trick in the 50th minute. It was the kind of first start clubs ask for and rarely get.

Hofmann's first start pays off

Hofmann had only been registered for the Europa League on Tuesday because of Martin Terrier's long-term absence. That made the evening at OFI vs Bayer Leverkusen feel even more like a case of an experienced player stepping in and settling the match before halftime.

He also put five shots on target and finished with a 9.55 rating, both signs of how direct he was once he got into the game. Of course that feels good, that's clear. We took the game very seriously, I think you could see that. I did my job, Hofmann said to SPORT1, in comments translated from German.

Leverkusen's European run

The result kept Bayer Leverkusen perfect in the Europa League, with three wins from three and nine points. Their European record now stands at 8:0, while the wider competitive run has reached six straight wins.

Simon Rolfes, speaking to SPORT1 before the match, had already warned that OFI could trouble strong sides. That caution looked justified for a while, but Leverkusen handled the night without any real fuss once Hofmann struck twice.

SPORT1 also reported Leverkusen leading the league phase with nine points and an 8:0 record, though the competition table was still showing an earlier partial return when the game finished. The one thing that does not need much debate is Hofmann's finish: his first start of the season delivered two goals, and Leverkusen left Heraklion with another clean sheet.