Bayer Leverkusen defeat NK Celje 2-0 in Europa League opener

Bayer Leverkusen opened their UEFA Europa League campaign with a 2-0 home victory against Slovenian champions NK Celje at the BayArena. The match was decided by an own goal from Svit Sešlar in the 15th minute and a 74th-minute volley from Facundo Medina.

Despite the win, Leverkusen manager Carles Martínez expressed dissatisfaction with the team's performance, noting a lack of energy and excessive space allowed to the opposition. The match also marked the return of Robert Andrich to the starting lineup and the comeback of Eliesse Ben Seghir after a four-month injury layoff.

For NK Celje, this was the debut of new manager Zoran Zeljković. While the team showed resilience and goalkeeper Zan-Luk Leban made several notable saves, the loss highlights the challenges facing the Slovenian side in European competition.