Ernest Poku is having a top season in the Bundesliga. The 21-year-old forward was outstanding on Saturday against FC Heidenheim (6-0) and rewarded himself with a goal and an assist. Ibrahim Maza also delivered an excellent performance. Coach Kasper Hjulmand has an explanation for why Poku and the Algerian top talent are doing so well.
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Bayer Leverkusen produced a blistering performance to overwhelm FC Heidenheim 6-0, a result that underlined the confidence flowing through Kasper Hjulmand’s squad and put a bright spotlight on Ernest Poku’s breakout season.
The Dutch winger, born in Hamburg and signed in late August for around twelve million euros, was initially viewed as a long term project rather than a guaranteed starter. In a matter of weeks he has accelerated that timeline. After nine Bundesliga matches he already sits on four goals and two assists, and he has added two more assists in the DFB Pokal. Against Heidenheim he set the tone early, teeing up Patrik Schick to open the scoring after two minutes, and then finishing himself on 25 minutes to make it 4-0. With the game effectively won by the interval, Poku was withdrawn at halftime at 5-0, his job emphatically done.
The win was the kind of complete display that coaches use as a reference point. Leverkusen pressed high, circulated the ball with patience, and then accelerated through the lines with sharp vertical passes and third man runs. The opening goal came from exactly that pattern. Poku held width on the right, timing his burst to receive in space before sliding a measured pass for Schick, who needed no second invitation. Heidenheim never really recovered from the shock of conceding inside two minutes. Once Leverkusen found the rhythm of quick recoveries and immediate forward thrusts, the visitors were chasing shadows.
Poku’s own strike captured his growing maturity. Rather than forcing an early shot, he drifted into the half space, combined with a midfielder on the edge of the box, and arrived in the area at exactly the right moment to apply the finish. It was the kind of action that shows why staff speak about his learning curve. The raw speed and one v one threat were already there when he left AZ, but his decision making in tight zones has taken a clear step. Finishes like his for 4-0 are less about pace and more about timing and calm.
The second half belonged to Ibrahim Maza, the Algerian prospect who has quickly become a fan favorite. He scored Leverkusen’s fifth and sixth to complete the rout, and beyond the goals he offered constant movement between the lines that kept Heidenheim’s defenders turning the wrong way. Hjulmand praised Maza’s willingness to absorb information and apply it with intensity. That characterization fits what unfolded on the pitch. His first goal came from a smart arrival into the box to meet a cutback, and his second from the sort of opportunistic run that punishes disorganized back lines late in games.
Hjulmand’s post match message carried two themes. First, he credited Poku and Maza for their work habits, calling Maza a model learner who soaks up coaching, and highlighting Poku’s appetite to repeat sprints both in and out of possession. Second, he pointed to the veteran core that sets standards every day. Experienced players create the platform, in his words, that lets younger talents perform without carrying the entire creative burden. That balance was visible here. When Leverkusen pressed, the senior figures directed the traps and organized the rest defense, which freed Poku to gamble higher and attack transition moments. When possession slowed, those same leaders recycled the ball until the opportunity reappeared.
The tactical structure made life remarkably simple for the front line. Fullbacks pushed to provide width, inside forwards pinched into the half spaces, and midfielders alternated who stayed and who advanced. That constant rotation pulled Heidenheim into bad choices. If the visitors stepped out, Leverkusen slipped passes between the lines. If they stayed compact, switches of play isolated Poku one v one. Either way, chances kept arriving. By halftime the scoreline felt like a fair reflection of territorial control and chance quality.
Poku’s trajectory is shaping Leverkusen’s season in subtle ways as well. At AZ he operated mostly as a direct wide runner. In Germany he is adding layers. He drops short to help progression, he bursts in behind when the nine checks to feet, and he is beginning to invert to the far post on the weak side. The end product numbers are encouraging, but so are the quieter contributions that precede the final pass. Coaches notice the pre assist runs that clear lanes and the backward sprints that close counters. Performances like this build trust. Trust earns minutes, and minutes accelerate development.
Maza’s emergence alongside Poku is equally valuable for squad construction. Depth across the front line allows Hjulmand to rotate without losing pressing intensity. That matters across league and cup commitments. It also keeps opponents guessing about which profile they will face. On one wing a burner who stretches play. On the other a technician who drifts inside to overload midfield. Between them a center forward who finishes the chances their movement creates. Heidenheim simply could not handle the variety on offer.
There will be tougher tests than a home game that turns lopsided inside half an hour. The real measure comes when opponents deny space, slow the tempo, and force Leverkusen to create through crowded zones. Even there, the early signs are positive. Poku’s improved patience, Maza’s composure in tight corridors, and the team’s rehearsed combinations suggest they can solve different kinds of problems. The coaching staff will also appreciate how quickly new signings have integrated into the defensive scheme, which is the backbone of any title chase.
For now the headline belongs to the young attackers. Poku is delivering on the potential that prompted Leverkusen to invest in August. Maza is accelerating his own path with end product and diligence. And Hjulmand, who has sprinkled clear ideas across every phase of play, is seeing the benefits of a balanced dressing room where senior players lift standards and prospects respond. Six goals and a clean sheet will grab attention. The underlying patterns that produced them are what will sustain momentum.
Updated: 11:38, 10 Nov 2025
