4–0 in Wiesbaden – First a Test of Patience, Then Pretty Comfortable After All

Cup football, first round, away to a third-tier side – I have been following Bayer 04 for long enough to know that this is usually the wrong moment to start discussing how many goals we might score. This competition has its own sense of humour. In the end, though, Bayer won 4–0 at Wehen Wiesbaden, Carles Martínez celebrated victory in his first competitive match as head coach, and we moved comfortably into the second round. On paper, that sounds like a very relaxed Saturday afternoon. In reality, the first half was rather less comfortable. Bayer had plenty of the ball but struggled for long periods to break down a compact Wiesbaden defence. Lots of possession, not enough penetration – a pattern we have already seen a few times during pre-season. The final numbers were dominant: 71 per cent possession, 19 shots and an xG figure of 1.93. But even those statistics do not tell the full story of how awkward the opening 45 minutes felt. 

Martínez stuck with the back four he had used regularly during pre-season. Janis Blaswich started in goal, with new captain Edmond Tapsoba in defence. Ezequiel Fernández and Aleix Garcia formed the midfield base, Malik Tillman played centrally ahead of them, Ibrahim Maza started on the right, while Miguel Gutiérrez and Afonso Moreira made their competitive Bayer debuts on the left. Patrik Schick led the line. There were early signs that the left flank could become important. Gutiérrez found Schick with a precise cross after 14 minutes, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Bayer had around three quarters of the possession in the opening phase and still created surprisingly little. Wiesbaden sat deep, defended with discipline and reminded us that a third-tier team in the first round of the cup is generally not interested in laying out a red carpet for Bundesliga visitors. Bayer’s passing was not always clean enough either, and I could already feel the familiar cup arithmetic beginning in my head: 0–0 at half-time, the underdog grows in confidence, and somewhere around the 83rd minute a deflected free-kick disappears into the far corner. Fortunately, Schick had no interest in that particular script. After a Maza effort was blocked, he was exactly where a striker should be and bundled home the opener in the 43rd minute. 

After the break, the match changed very quickly from a test of patience into a fairly straightforward affair. Gutiérrez again delivered from the left, Schick’s header was saved, and Lucas Vázquez was perfectly placed to score the rebound for 2–0 in the 47th minute. From that point, the tension was largely gone. Bayer controlled the game, Wiesbaden struggled to get near our penalty area, and Martínez was able to spread the minutes around. I actually liked that almost more than some chaotic attacking show. Not every cup win has to be a masterpiece. Sometimes it is perfectly acceptable for the Bundesliga side to impose its greater quality and then make sure the opponent never really gets back into the contest. The substitutes also made an immediate impact. Nathan Tella made it 3–0 in the 69th minute after a clever backheel from Maza, and ten minutes later Christian Kofane added the fourth after Moreira powered down the left and provided a precise cut-back. Jarell Quansah and Exequiel Palacios also got their first minutes of the season, while Facundo Medina made his Bayer debut. 

So what do I take from the first competitive match of the season? First of all, the most important thing: we are through. No extra time, no penalties and, most importantly, none of that special kind of cup panic where you suddenly realise in the 83rd minute against a third-tier opponent that your pulse has reached Champions League final levels. We also had four different goalscorers, useful contributions from the bench and several new signings collecting important competitive minutes. Moreira continues to impress me because there is something very direct about his game. He wants to take defenders on, accelerate and make things happen rather than turning every attack into a research project on the perfect passing sequence. Gutiérrez also showed with his delivery what he can add on the left. And Schick? He is simply continuing where he left off in pre-season: scoring goals. I would be perfectly happy if that habit lasts for a few more months.

Still, the 4–0 scoreline should not disguise everything. Before half-time, Bayer once again had problems turning possession into enough clear chances. That was already an issue in the friendlies and it will matter even more against Bundesliga opposition. When teams defend deep, we need more speed in our combinations and more conviction in the final third. Against Wiesbaden, individual quality eventually made the difference. Against stronger opponents, we will not always be able to wait for Schick to appear in exactly the right place just before half-time.

But for the first competitive match of the season, I will take a 4–0 away win without any argument. Martínez has started with a victory, the new players have made encouraging first impressions and Bayer are safely into round two without unnecessary drama. Next comes Elversberg and the beginning of the Bundesliga season, which is when the excuses really disappear.  Until then, I am taking one reassuring lesson from Wiesbaden: if our new cup strategy is to make me slightly nervous for one half and then win comfortably, I can probably live with that.