Bayer Leverkusen Cruise Past Pisa in Pre-Season Friendly
Bayer Leverkusen, now under the guidance of Erik ten Hag, continue to impress in their pre-season campaign with another convincing win — this time dismantling Serie A newcomers Pisa with a dominant 3-0 victory.
Alberto Gilardino's side struggled to cope with Leverkusen's tempo and intensity in the first half. The Bundesliga vice-champions struck three times before the break, with goals from Robert Andrich, Adam Hložek (Kofané in original, possibly a misnaming), and Exequiel Palacios.
Álex Grimaldo nearly added a fourth with a thunderous strike that cannoned off the crossbar, as Leverkusen maintained complete control in the opening 45 minutes.
Things took a turn in the second half when Odilon Kossounou Tapsoba was sent off, leaving Leverkusen down to ten men. Pisa tried to capitalize on the numerical advantage and pushed forward in search of a response, but the German side's defense held firm, keeping a clean sheet.
