Nigeria international Nathan Tella opened his goalscoring account for the new season as Bayer Leverkusen cruised to a 4-0 victory over Wehen Wiesbaden in the DFB-Pokal on Saturday, Nigeriasoccernet.com can report.
Tella came off the bench and made an immediate impact, scoring Leverkusen’s third goal just four minutes after his introduction.
The winger replaced Fernandez in the 65th minute before finding the net in the 69th minute to cap an impressive cameo and help Leverkusen secure their place in the next round.
Patrik Schick opened the scoring shortly before half-time, while Lucas Vázquez doubled Leverkusen’s advantage two minutes after the restart.
Christian Kofane completed the rout in the 79th minute as the Bundesliga side maintained control throughout the encounter.
Leverkusen dominated possession with 71 per cent compared to Wehen Wiesbaden’s 29 per cent, while the hosts struggled to create any significant threat.
Tella’s goal provides an early boost as he looks to establish himself as a more prominent figure in Leverkusen’s plans this season.
His fellow Nigerian, Victor Boniface, remained an unused substitute as he continues his return to the Leverkusen squad following his loan spell at Werder Bremen last season.