In-form Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz enjoyed a dream Champions League debut Thursday, as two first-half goals powered the Bundesliga winners to a 4-0 humiliation of Dutch side Feyenoord.
Xabi Alonso’s men killed the game off by halftime, their attacking pace and precision overwhelming a defensively frail Feyenoord, who looked a shadow of last season’s side under Arne Slot, now at Liverpool.
The match started terribly for the hosts, Algerian defender Ramiz Zerrouki losing possession in front of goal with just five minutes gone, gifting the ball to midfielder Robert Andrich.
A simple pass set up Wirtz for a one-on-one with Timon Wellenreuther in the Feyenoord goal and the German made no mistake, slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner with confidence.
Despite playing more than 150 times for Leverkusen, injury had kept Wirtz out of Champions League action, meaning the Feyenoord clash was his debut at Europe’s top level.
With the match already over as a contest after the first-half fireworks, the second half seemed pedestrian in comparison.
Feyenoord pressed gamely and came close to a consolation goal a couple of times but the German defence held firm for an impressive start to their European campaign.
Leverkusen host AC Milan On October 1 in the next round of the new-look Champions League, while Feyenoord travel to Girona on October 2.
