Bayer Leverkusen defeated Polish champion Lech Poznań 4–0 away in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, securing their second win in the competition thanks to two penalties and a pair of goals from open play.
Patrik Schick Converts Two Penalties After Early Substitutions
Leverkusen secured their fourth Pflichtspielerfolg in all competitions, aided by two converted spot-kicks from striker Patrik Schick in the 29th and 40th minutes. Manager Carles Martínez made six changes to his starting lineup following a 4–3 weekend win against FSV Mainz 05, initially leaving Schick on the bench with plans for a minimal appearance ahead of a weekend Bundesliga fixture against Bundesliga-Spitzenreiter SC Freiburg.
That plan changed after just 20 minutes when winger Martin Terrier suffered an injury. Terrier, who recently worked his way back through multiple fitness setbacks, was forced off during his second start of the season. Bayer’s licensing director Thomas Eichin called the situation tragic in a halftime interview with RTL+, noting that misfortune keeps striking whenever Terrier earns an opportunity in the lineup.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Lech Poznań — UEFA Europa League, League Phase · matchday 2.Two sides who score freely meet in Poznań, and the difference between them showed on matchday one. Bayer Leverkusen beat Celje 2-0 at home; Lech Poznań were taken apart 4-0 at Crystal Palace.…
Schick replaced Terrier earlier than anticipated and immediately impacted the match. Serbian referee Milos Milanovic awarded Leverkusen their first penalty in the 29th minute following a video assistant referee review that lasted more than three minutes. Poznań defender Terry Yegbe was penalized for handball after the ball struck his trailing arm from close range while he turned away from a shot by Ibrahim Maza. Milanovic pointed to the spot a second time in the 40th minute after a VAR review directed his attention to a scuffle in the box between Schick and Mateusz Skrzypczak, ruling it a foul on the forward. Schick converted both attempts to claim his eighth goal of the campaign.
Malik Tillman and Ibrahim Maza Extend the Margin
Malik Tillman added Leverkusen’s second goal of the night in the 32nd minute, slotting past the Poznań defense between Schick’s two penalty conversions to establish a commanding 3–0 halftime advantage. The visitors controlled the tempo and dismantled Poznań’s resistance well before the interval.
The first half featured an unusual technical delay around the 20-minute mark when automated pitch sprinklers on one half of the field activated unexpectedly. Stadium staff resolved the malfunction within seconds, allowing play to resume without significant interruption.
Lech Poznań Offense Neutralized
Lech Poznań entered the fixture boasting a potent attack that had produced 30 goals across its previous ten competitive matches under manager Niels Frederiksen. However, the hosts struggled to test the Leverkusen defense, rendering former Bundesliga striker Mikael Ishak and the rest of the Poznań forward line largely quiet throughout the 90 minutes.
Ibrahim Maza capped the scoring in the 89th minute, finding the back of the net to seal the 4–0 scoreline. The result leaves Poznań under pressure in the Europa League standings following an opening 4–0 defeat to Crystal Palace, extending the club’s wait for a victory in the Europa League. Meanwhile, Leverkusen moves forward with maximum points from their opening two fixtures.
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