The goalkeeper made it a contest
Zan-Luk Leban had a night. The Celje goalkeeper stood between his side and a heavy defeat at the BayArena on Wednesday, and for long stretches he was the reason the Slovenian champions were still in the match at all.
Leverkusen won 2-0. The margin flatters Celje, and everyone inside the ground knew it.
That is often how the first night of a European campaign looks for a club arriving from a smaller league. The gap shows up not in the scoreline but in the number of times the goalkeeper has to intervene.
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Leverkusen take the safe route
For the German side, the priority was simple: three points, no complications, nothing to explain afterwards. They got all three. The clean sheet matters too, because goal difference decides the ordering of a 36-team table where only the top eight avoid a February play-off round.
Leverkusen know this competition well. They reached the final in 2023/24 and lost it, and they have spent the seasons since trying to get back to that level in Europe.
Celje have seven left
Two goals conceded away at one of the stronger sides in the draw is not a disaster. Celje will find their points elsewhere, against opponents closer to their own level, and the league phase gives them seven more chances to do it.
What they take from Germany is a goalkeeper who proved he belongs at this level, which is not the worst thing to bring home from a first matchday.
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