SV Elversberg, first-time Bundesliga participants from a Saarland town of just 13,000 people, stunned holders Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 on their top-flight debut. The result underlined that German football's top division can still produce genuine upsets, even amid growing dominance from wealthier clubs such as Bayern Munich, and offered a heart-warming counterpoint to a weekend otherwise expected to confirm the league's financial hierarchy.

Elversberg raced into a 3-0 lead inside the opening hour, scoring twice within 60 seconds early on and adding a third just after half-time, before Leverkusen's Patrick Schick and Christian Kofané pulled two goals back late on without preventing the shock defeat. It was the first Bundesliga win for a Saarland side since 1993, and notably also came against Leverkusen. Key contributors included Bulgarian midfielder Lukas Petkov, who scored and created a goal, and record signing Cole Campbell, a €6m buy from Borussia Dortmund, while Leverkusen's heavy summer spending (including a fourth transfer over €20m this window) offered no protection against the upset.