JENA, Germany (AP) — Jonas Hofmann’s second-half goal was enough for Bayer Leverkusen to start its German Cup title defense with a meager 1-0 win at Carl Zeiss Jena on Wednesday.
The fourth-tier side largely nullified Leverkusen’s attacking threat. Leverkusen, the defending German Cup and Bundesliga champion, started with the influential Granit Xhaka, Álex Grimaldo, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong all on the subs’ bench.
Amine Adli went closest when he struck the post but it was a rare chance for the visitors, much to Xabi Alonso’s frustration on the sideline.
The Spanish coach took Arthur off for Grimaldo at the break and the move paid off in the 52nd minute, when the Spanish wing back crossed for Hofmann to head the opener. It proved to be the winner, too.
Leverkusen still struggled for openings. Alonso sent Wirtz and Frimpong on in the 68th. Xhaka entered five minutes later.
Jena pushed hard for an equalizer and almost got it in the third minute of stoppage time when Hamza Muqaj was unable to direct Nils Butzen’s fiercely struck cross on target.
The teams’ match was postponed from the weekend of the other first-round fixtures because of Leverkusen’s participation in the German Supercup, a match boycotted by both Leverkusen and Stuttgart ultras because of its effect on their teams’ German Cup fixtures.
Stuttgart defeated second-division team Preußen Münster 5-0 in their postponed game on Tuesday.
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