Bayer Leverkusen embark on a fresh chapter on Friday night when they welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the BayArena, with new boss Kasper Hjulmand taking charge of his first Bundesliga match. The Dane inherits a squad in turmoil, after Erik ten Hag’s shock dismissal earlier this month just two months into his tenure. Ten Hag, who oversaw a 4-0 cup win and a dramatic 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen, was removed after just two league fixtures, setting an unwanted Bundesliga record. Reports in the German press pointed to deeper issues behind the scenes, with fractured relationships and a lack of trust contributing to the swift decision.

Hjulmand, who left his post as Denmark’s national coach over a year ago, arrives with a reputation for structure and tactical discipline, but he has had just a handful of training sessions to prepare his players for one of the league’s most in-form sides. Leverkusen have stuttered at the start of the campaign, failing to secure a league win and surrendering leads, highlighting the work the new manager has ahead of him.

Their opponents, Eintracht Frankfurt, have enjoyed an excellent opening to the season. Dino Toppmoller’s men brushed aside Engers 5-0 in the cup before registering back-to-back league wins, hammering Werder Bremen 4-1 and dispatching Hoffenheim 3-1. Frankfurt’s attacking power has been on full display, with contributions spread across the front line, making them a dangerous prospect for a Leverkusen side still finding their feet. While the visitors will need to balance focus with next week’s Champions League opener against Galatasaray, their momentum makes them a serious threat.

History is on Leverkusen’s side, as they have won the last 11 competitive meetings between these two clubs. If Hjulmand’s men are to stand a chance, they will need defensive discipline and sharper game management than they have shown in recent weeks.

勒沃库森在周五晚上迎来了新的篇章，他们将在拜仁球场迎接法兰克福，新主帅胡尔曼德将执教他的第一场德甲比赛。丹麦人接手了一支混乱的球队，在埃里克·滕·黑格上任仅仅两个月就在本月早些时候被解雇之后。滕·黑格带领球队4-0赢得杯赛，并戏剧性地3-3战平云达不莱梅，但仅仅两场联赛就被换下，创造了德甲的新纪录。德国媒体的报道指出了幕后更深层次的问题，破裂的关系和缺乏信任导致了这一迅速的决定。

胡尔曼德一年多前离开了丹麦国家队教练的职位，他以结构和战术纪律著称，但他只进行了几次训练，让他的球员为联盟状态最好的球队之一做好准备。勒沃库森在赛季开始时表现不佳，未能确保联赛胜利并放弃领先优势，这凸显了新教练面前的工作。

他们的对手法兰克福本赛季开局不错。托普穆勒的球队在杯赛中以5比0击败了恩赫斯，随后在联赛中以4比1击败云达不莱梅，3比1击败霍芬海姆，取得了连续两场胜利。法兰克福的进攻力量得到了充分的展示，他们的贡献遍布锋线，这使得他们对勒沃库森来说是一个危险的前景。虽然客队需要在下周对阵加拉塔萨雷的欧冠揭幕战中平衡注意力，但他们的势头使他们成为一个严重的威胁。

历史站在勒沃库森一边，因为他们赢得了两家俱乐部最近11次的交锋。如果赫尔曼德的球员想要有机会，他们需要比最近几周表现出的更严格的防守纪律和更敏锐的比赛管理。