Leverkusen will face Hoffenheim in their opening match of the season, and I think that's a match Leverkusen should be able to win easily. On paper, Leverkusen is the clear favorite, Hoffenheim is a mediocre team that almost got relegated last season. Therefore, I think this is a great opportunity for Ten Hag to secure his first win, which would help him gain a lot of support from the fans at BayArena. However, if an upset were to happen, Ten Hag would immediately face sharp criticism from the fans.
Ten Hag was heavily criticized after losing to Flamengo's youth academy. Now, he absolutely must win this match to avoid a similar setback. The Bundesliga is starting now, and there's no room for error. Every game they play incorrectly will drop points and push them away from the championship. What the Spanish manager has left at Bayer Leverkusen is a team that is contending for the title. If he lets that slide, he won't be in charge for long. I still question his suitability for this role. Perhaps there could be better options.