Alejandro Grimaldo scored twice from free kicks as Bayer Leverkusen beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 on Friday. The result gave new coach Kasper Hjulmand his first Bundesliga win.
Hjulmand took charge only days ago after Erik ten Hag was sacked just two matches into the season.
Leverkusen struck early. Grimaldo curled in a fine free kick in the 10th minute. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 with a penalty just before halftime. Nathan Tella had been fouled by Frankfurt captain Robert Koch.
Frankfurt pulled one back soon after the restart. Can Uzun scored to make it 2-1. Leverkusen then lost their captain Robert Andrich, who was sent off in the 59th minute.
Despite being a man down, the home side held firm. Grimaldo sealed the win with another brilliant free kick in stoppage time. Ezequiel Fernández was also dismissed late on.
The victory lifted the mood at BayArena after a troubled start to the season. Ten Hag was hired in the summer to rebuild a squad weakened by the exit of several key players following Xabi Alonso’s move to Real Madrid.
But the Dutch coach failed to make an impact. Players clashed and ignored his plans. A chaotic 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen on August 30 sealed his fate.
Hjulmand stepped in with only two training sessions to prepare. Frankfurt had begun the season strongly, with only Bayern Munich above them after two games.
The Danish coach had not worked since leading Denmark to a last-16 exit at the European Championship. His last Bundesliga spell was with Mainz in 2014-15, which ended quickly. This time, he started with a win.
