Nathan Tella opened his account for the new season with a goal off the bench as Bayer Leverkusen swept aside Wehen Wiesbaden 4-0 to reach the second round of the DFB-Pokal, Trybal News reports.
The Nigerian international was introduced in the 65th minute, with Leverkusen already holding a 2-0 advantage.
It took Tella just four minutes to make his mark, finding the back of the net in the 69th minute to put Leverkusen firmly in control and cap an impressive cameo.
Patrik Schick had given Leverkusen the lead shortly before half-time, while Lucas Vázquez doubled their advantage just two minutes after the restart.
Tella’s introduction added further energy to Leverkusen’s attack, and his goal effectively ended any hopes of a Wiesbaden comeback.
Christian Kofane completed the scoring in the 79th minute as Leverkusen comfortably secured their passage into the next round.
For new head coach Carles Martínez, the result provided a winning start to his competitive tenure, with Leverkusen eventually finding their rhythm after a closely contested opening half.
While Tella grabbed the headlines, fellow Nigerian Victor Boniface watched the entire match from the bench. The striker was not called upon as Leverkusen comfortably wrapped up the victory.
Tella’s early-season goal will provide an important boost as he looks to establish himself as a regular contributor under Martínez. His next opportunity will come in the Bundesliga, with Leverkusen set to begin their league campaign against Elversberg on August 29.
Boniface, meanwhile, will be hoping to get his first minutes of the campaign when Leverkusen return to league action.
