Leverkusen burst out of the blocks, Schick scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes. Aleix Garcia added a third with a stunning free-kick on the 36-minute mark. Despite making three half-time changes, Elversberg were unable to break through against Xabi Alonso's men.

Elversberg beat Leverkusen in the first round of the 2022-23 German Cup season, making them the last team to beat the current holders in the competition. RB Leipzig, who won back-to-back German Cups before Leverkusen's triumph, beat St Pauli 4-2 at home, with Yussuf Poulsen scoring a brace.

The hosts were 2-0 up after 17 minutes thanks to goals from Poulsen and Christoph Baumgartner. Morgan Guilavogui grabbed one back on 28 minutes but Poulsen added another two minutes later.