Zürcher Nachrichten - Nine-man Leverkusen beat Frankfurt in coach Hjulmand's debut

Grimaldo curled from outside the box 10 minutes in and Patrik Schick converted a penalty to give Leverkusen a 2-0 lead at half-time.

Can Uzun pulled one back for Frankfurt with 52 minutes gone to keep the visitors in the match.

Leverkusen's hopes of a first win of the season looked in doubt when captain Robert Andrich got his marching orders for a second yellow card with half an hour left -- and looked worse when Equi Fernandez was also sent off in stoppage time.

But Grimaldo, handed the captain's armband when Andrich was sent off, once again curled in a free kick with eight minutes gone to seal a famous victory.

"Of course in the second half we were missing a player and the game was difficult -- it was not easy to create something," Schick said to Sky Germany, adding "the defenders did an unbelievable job today."

The striker, who scored a penalty for the second straight league match, praised Grimaldo's free-kick ability, saying "this position for him is like scoring from the spot. He has this technique, this top spin, and he does it perfectly."

Appointed on Monday in the seat vacated by former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, sacked after just two games, Hjulmand opened his account with a win.

"What a game," the 53-year-old Danish coach said, adding "we didn't have many chances, but we had energy."

Grimaldo, widely tipped to join the exodus exiting Leverkusen this summer, put the hosts ahead just 10 minutes in, cutting a free kick over the wall and in, hitting the post and then the back of goalie Michael Zetterer.

Schick, another holdout from Bayer's incredible unbeaten season in 2023-24, doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time, cooly converting from the spot after Nathan Tella was fouled.

Uzun cut the deficit when his strike was deflected past Leverkusen goalie Flekken with 52 minutes played.

Germany midfielder Andrich's second yellow for a harmless but lazy studs up challenge turned up the heat on the home side, who had not won a league match since April.

Leverkusen lost another man in stoppage time when Fernandez was sent from the field but the hosts would be the next to score when Grimaldo once again showed his prowess from set pieces, threading the ball expertly home.

The result extended Leverkusen's recent record against Frankfurt, particularly at home. Leverkusen have now beaten Frankfurt in their past six games and have not lost to them at home since 2013.

W.F.Portman--NZN