LEVERKUSEN, Germany, September 20, 2026: Bayer Leverkusen moved back toward the Bundesliga’s early leading group with a controlled 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig, while SC Paderborn ended a top-flight winning drought stretching back to January 2020 by beating Hoffenheim 3-1. Between those two results, promoted Schalke 04 and Elversberg canceled each other out in a 0-0 draw that said plenty about how competitive both newcomers have already become.
Patrik Schick scored for the fourth Bundesliga game in succession before Miguel Gutiérrez completed Leverkusen’s victory at the BayArena. Schalke’s defense held again but Edin Džeko could not unlock Elversberg at the VELTINS-Arena. Paderborn then produced the most statistically surprising result of the three matches, scoring three times from only 0.89 expected goals while Hoffenheim generated 1.95 xG and repeatedly struck the woodwork.
The results completed Bundesliga Matchday 4, which had already seen Borussia Dortmund preserve their perfect start, Bayern Munich score seven against Union Berlin, Werder Bremen overturn a two-goal deficit and Mainz survive a seven-goal contest. The full developing picture can be followed through The Sports Encounter’s Bundesliga coverage, while our Matchday 4 report from the earlier games explains how Dortmund reached the top before Leverkusen, Leipzig, Schalke and the other late-playing teams took the field.
Bundesliga Matchday 4: Three Results That Changed the Early Table
| Match | Result | Key Development |
|---|---|---|
| Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig | 2-0 | Schick scores in fourth straight league game; Gutiérrez creates one and scores one |
| Schalke 04 vs Elversberg | 0-0 | Schalke record another clean sheet; Elversberg move to seven points |
| SC Paderborn vs Hoffenheim | 3-1 | Paderborn score first league goals of season and claim first Bundesliga win since January 2020 |
Why Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-0 Win Over RB Leipzig Matters
Leverkusen entered the game with four points from their opening three league matches. They left it with seven, fifth place and a performance that looked considerably more stable than the opening weeks of their season.
Carles Martínez’s team had already shown its ceiling in a 4-0 victory over Union Berlin, but a defeat at Elversberg and a 2-2 draw at Augsburg made consistency the more important question.
Against Leipzig, Leverkusen controlled both the quality of the chances and the spaces from which they were created.
The official Bundesliga match report recorded expected goals of 2.07 for Leverkusen and just 0.78 for Leipzig.
That difference is more revealing than the two-goal margin.
Leipzig briefly appeared to have taken the lead when Christopher Nkunku finished Rômulo’s cutback in the 34th minute, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. Eleven minutes later, the momentum had turned completely.
Gutiérrez delivered from the left and Schick stretched to guide his finish beyond Maarten Vandevoordt.
Leverkusen did not retreat after halftime.
Ibrahim Maza attacked the box in the 57th minute, Ridle Baku failed to complete the clearance, and Gutiérrez drove the loose ball into the near corner.
Is Patrik Schick Becoming Leverkusen’s Most Reliable Constant?
Schick has now scored in each of Leverkusen’s first four Bundesliga matches.
That sequence includes goals against Elversberg, Union Berlin, Augsburg and Leipzig. During a period when the team has produced uneven results, the Czech striker’s finishing has remained remarkably stable.
Leverkusen do not need Schick to dominate every phase of a match. They need him to turn a good delivery, loose ball or brief defensive mistake into something measurable.
He did that again against Leipzig.
The run also places Leverkusen in a more interesting position within the early title and Champions League conversation. Dortmund entered the break with four wins from four after Maximilian Beier’s winner at Stuttgart, while Bayern had already responded with a 7-0 demolition of Union Berlin.
Leverkusen are five points behind Dortmund, but their position now looks much healthier than it did after the opening defeat.
Miguel Gutiérrez Gave Leverkusen More Than a Goal and Assist
Gutiérrez was named the Bundesliga’s Man of the Match, and his influence explains why.
He supplied the cross for Schick’s opener and scored the second, but his importance went beyond the two decisive actions.
Leverkusen repeatedly used the left side to stretch Leipzig’s defensive shape. Gutiérrez could advance wide, combine inside or deliver early enough to prevent the visitors from setting their defensive line.
That gave Leverkusen an attacking route even when central spaces were crowded.
His emergence also reduces the creative burden on Maza and the central midfielders. A team capable of building dangerous attacks from multiple lanes is much harder to press predictably.
What Went Wrong for RB Leipzig?
Leipzig’s start has been difficult to define because the performances have swung dramatically.
They beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0, lost 3-1 at Werder Bremen, destroyed Hamburg 5-0 and then failed to score at Leverkusen.
The two league defeats have both come away from home.
Nkunku’s disallowed goal showed that Leipzig could reach Leverkusen’s penalty area, but they struggled to reproduce those moments after falling behind. Mark Flekken was tested from distance early, yet Leipzig rarely turned possession into sustained pressure once Schick changed the scoreline.
With six points from four matches, Leipzig are ninth. The numbers remain recoverable. The larger concern is the gap between their best and worst attacking performances.
Schalke 0-0 Elversberg: Why the Promoted Clubs Are Harder to Dismiss Than Expected
A goalless draw between two newly promoted teams might look like the least consequential result of the three.
The early Bundesliga table suggests otherwise.
Elversberg have seven points from four matches. Schalke have five.
Neither side has behaved like a club simply trying to survive its first few weeks back in the division.
Schalke’s defensive recovery is particularly significant.
They began the season by losing 3-0 at Augsburg. Since then, Miron Muslić’s team have conceded only one goal across three Bundesliga matches: a 0-0 draw against Bayern, a 3-1 victory over Union Berlin and this draw with Elversberg.
The transformation from the opening game has been substantial.
Did Edin Džeko Make an Impact on His First Bundesliga Start of the Season?
Džeko returned to Schalke’s starting lineup and nearly made an immediate difference, heading wide from an early corner.
The breakthrough never followed.
Kenan Karaman’s cross almost produced an own goal from Lukas Pinckert, only for Nicolas Kristof to react. Nikola Katić headed over after halftime, while Junior Dina Ebimbe also tested the goalkeeper.
Elversberg carried enough threat to make Schalke cautious at the other end. David Mokwa struck the post from an offside position, and Loris Karius later made a sharp double save from Maurice Krattenmacher and Lukas Petkov.
The Bundesliga’s official Schalke-Elversberg report recorded xG of 0.92 for Schalke and 1.28 for the visitors.
Neither attack did enough to deserve control of the match.
Has Schalke Found a Defensive Identity?
Hasan Kuruçay’s performance points in that direction.
The defender won 17 challenges and posted the best pass-efficiency figure on the field. He also stopped Mokwa during one of Elversberg’s most dangerous transition opportunities.
Two clean sheets in three matches against Bayern and Elversberg give Schalke something reliable to carry forward.
The next step is turning defensive stability into more sustained attacking pressure.
The broader context is encouraging. TSE’s Matchday 2 analysis identified Schalke’s draw with Bayern as one of the first genuine surprises of the season. The Union victory then showed they could turn discipline into three points.
Elversberg deserve equal attention. Seven points after four matches put Vincent Wagner’s side seventh, above several established Bundesliga clubs.
How Did Paderborn Beat Hoffenheim 3-1 Despite Losing the xG Battle?
This was the most unusual result of the three.
Paderborn had not scored a Bundesliga goal this season before Santiago Castañeda’s 29th-minute opener.
By halftime, they had two.
Stefano Marino converted Laurin Curda’s low delivery in the 42nd minute, giving the promoted side a 2-0 advantage even though Hoffenheim had already shown they could reach dangerous areas.
Adam Daghim pulled one back five minutes after the restart. Bambasé Conté then struck both the crossbar and a post while Hoffenheim pushed for an equalizer.
Paderborn survived the pressure and punished the visitors again.
Substitute Steffen Tigges held up the ball and later headed Jonah Sticker’s cross past Oliver Baumann in the 69th minute.
The official Bundesliga match data recorded Paderborn at only 0.89 xG compared with Hoffenheim’s 1.95.
The 3-1 scoreline therefore tells a story about efficiency, defensive survival and timing rather than sustained Paderborn domination.
When Did Paderborn Last Win a Bundesliga Match?
Paderborn’s previous Bundesliga victory came on January 25, 2020, when they beat Freiburg 2-1.
They had gone 18 top-flight matches without a win before beating Hoffenheim.
That drought makes the emotional significance clear, but the sporting consequence is equally important.
Paderborn entered Matchday 4 with one point and zero goals. They finished it with four points, three goals and 12th place, outside the relegation zone.
Only a week earlier, Dortmund had beaten them 3-0, with Felix Nmecha scoring twice late. TSE’s Matchday 3 report documented how Paderborn competed for long periods before Dortmund’s quality eventually separated the teams.
Against Hoffenheim, they were the side that converted the decisive moments.
Why Should Hoffenheim Be Concerned?
Hoffenheim can reasonably point to the chances they created.
They finished with the higher xG, hit the woodwork several times and produced sustained pressure after Daghim made it 2-1.
The problem is that the same week has now produced two different versions of attacking frustration.
On Thursday, Hoffenheim controlled possession, attempted 18 shots and still lost 2-0 to OFI Crete in the Europa League. TSE’s analysis of the defeat in Crete focused on their inability to turn control into goals.
Three days later, they created enough to score more than once in Paderborn but conceded three from a much smaller volume of home chances.
Christian Ilzer therefore enters the international break with two problems to solve at once: attacking execution and defensive punishment.
Hoffenheim are 14th with three points from four matches.
Bundesliga Table After Matchday 4: Where Do Leverkusen, Schalke and Paderborn Stand?
| Position | Team | Played | Points | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 4 | 12 | +7 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 4 | 10 | +12 |
| 3 | Freiburg | 4 | 10 | +9 |
| 5 | Bayer Leverkusen | 4 | 7 | +5 |
| 7 | Elversberg | 4 | 7 | +1 |
| 9 | RB Leipzig | 4 | 6 | +4 |
| 11 | Schalke 04 | 4 | 5 | -1 |
| 12 | SC Paderborn | 4 | 4 | -2 |
| 14 | Hoffenheim | 4 | 3 | -3 |
Dortmund remain the only perfect team after their fourth consecutive victory. Bayern and Freiburg sit two points behind, with a group of five clubs on seven points beginning immediately below the leading trio.
Leverkusen’s move into fifth may prove the most important development from these three matches. Seven points keeps them within one strong weekend of the leaders behind Dortmund, while Leipzig have slipped to ninth despite already producing two emphatic victories.
What Happens After the International Break?
Bundesliga action resumes on October 10.
Leverkusen travel to Mainz, giving Martínez’s side an immediate opportunity to extend the momentum created against Leipzig. RB Leipzig host Eintracht Frankfurt and will need to show that their attacking problems remain an away-day issue rather than something deeper.
Paderborn host VfB Stuttgart after finally ending their scoring drought. Hoffenheim return at home against Hamburg, where anything resembling the finishing inefficiency seen in Crete and Paderborn would increase the early pressure on Ilzer.
Schalke travel to Freiburg on October 11, a considerably different test for the defensive structure that has now frustrated Bayern and Elversberg.
Four matchdays are too few to define a Bundesliga season, but the early hierarchy is already becoming less predictable below Dortmund, Bayern and Freiburg. Leverkusen have recovered, the promoted clubs are collecting points, and several established sides are discovering that reputation alone is not creating separation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the Bundesliga results on September 20, 2026?
Bayer Leverkusen beat RB Leipzig 2-0, Schalke 04 drew 0-0 with Elversberg, and SC Paderborn defeated Hoffenheim 3-1.
Who scored for Bayer Leverkusen against RB Leipzig?
Patrik Schick opened the scoring shortly before halftime and Miguel Gutiérrez made it 2-0 in the 57th minute.
How many Bundesliga games in a row has Patrik Schick scored in?
Schick has scored in all four of Bayer Leverkusen’s opening Bundesliga matches of the 2026-27 season.
Who was Man of the Match in Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig?
Miguel Gutiérrez was named Man of the Match after assisting Schick’s opener and scoring Leverkusen’s second goal.
Where are Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga table?
Leverkusen are fifth after Matchday 4 with seven points from four matches.
What was the Schalke vs Elversberg score?
Schalke and Elversberg drew 0-0 at the VELTINS-Arena.
How many points do Schalke have after four matches?
Schalke have five points from four Bundesliga games after one win, two draws and one defeat.
When did Paderborn last win a Bundesliga match before beating Hoffenheim?
Paderborn’s previous Bundesliga victory came on January 25, 2020, against Freiburg.
Who scored in Paderborn’s 3-1 win over Hoffenheim?
Santiago Castañeda, Stefano Marino and Steffen Tigges scored for Paderborn. Adam Daghim scored Hoffenheim’s goal.
Who leads the Bundesliga after Matchday 4?
Borussia Dortmund lead with 12 points from four victories. Bayern Munich and Freiburg are next with 10 points each.