Nine-man Leverkusen beat Frankfurt 3-1 thanks to Grimaldo double

LEVERKUSEN, Germany, Sept 12 - Nine-man Bayer Leverkusen clinched their first win of the Bundesliga season with a hard-fought 3–1 victory over fellow Champions League contenders Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday thanks to Alex Grimaldo’s double strike, marking a successful debut for new coach Kasper Hjulmand.

Hjulmand took over this week following the sacking of Erik ten Hag after Leverkusen failed to win either of their first two league matches.

The hosts looked sharper under the Dane, quickly taking control and leaving Eintracht, who had won their previous two league matches this season, to play a supporting role in the first half. But Leverkusen had two players sent off in the second half.

The result ended Frankfurt’s unbeaten run of eight matches that stretched back to last season.

Leverkusen, who travel to FC Copenhagen in their Champions League opener next week, opened their account with Spain international Grimaldo’s stunning 25-metre free kick into the top corner.

Nathan Tella and Patrik Schick each came close before the latter bagged a second goal with a stoppage time penalty, awarded for a foul on the former.

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The visitors, who host Galatasaray next week in the Champions League, pulled a goal back seven minutes after the restart with Can Uzun’s volley and in the 59th Leverkusen saw captain Robert Andrich dismissed with a second booking.

Tella should have scored again in the 84th but keeper Michael Zetterer blocked his close-range shot.

The hosts then were left with nine players after Ezequiel Fernandez got his marching orders with a second yellow card in a bad-tempered finale before Grimaldo settled nerves with another superbly taken free kick in stoppage time for his second goal of the evening.