Bayer Leverkusen warm-up for Lazio by humbling Hoffenheim

Berlin - Bayer Leverkusen warmed up for their Champions League play-off clash at Lazio with a 2-1 comeback win against Hoffenheim on the opening weekend of the Bundesliga season on Saturday.

Leverkusen face Lazio away on Tuesday, with the return on August 26, for a place in the Champions League group stage and 19-year-old Julian Brandt came off the bench to score their winner at home to Hoffenheim.

Leverkusen fell behind when Swiss midfielder Steven Zuber fired Hoffenheim ahead with just five minutes gone.

The hosts drew level when South Korea forward Son Heung-Min took on the defence, Brazil left-back Wendell fired in a shot and striker Stefan Kiessling tapped home the rebound on 45 minutes.

Brandt, a Germany Under-20 international, had only been on the pitch for seven minutes when he finished off a counter-attack by hitting the top right-hand corner on 71 minutes with a superb strike.