Champions League player ratings | Feyenoord 0:4 Bayer Leverkusen

Returning to the Champions League after a one-year break, Bayer Leverkusen beat Feyenoord 4-0 in the opening match.

Clinical. That's the best way to describe Leverkusen in the first half in Rotterdam. The reigning Bundesliga champions took an early lead when Robert Andrich took advantage of a mistake by Feyenoord midfielder Ramiz Zerrouki and passed to Florian Wirtz, who scored from long range. Feyenoord actually caused Leverkusen problems and even a goal by Zerrouki was disallowed.

However, Leverkusen doubled their lead in the 30th minute when Victor Boniface played a pass to Jeremie Frimpong and the Dutch international passed the ball to Alejandro Grimaldo. Frimpong again set up Wirtz's second goal of the game. Just before half-time, Leverkusen scored their fourth goal when Timon Wellenreuther deflected Edmond Tapsoba's header into the net.

The second half was a much quieter affair for Leverkusen than the first. They let Feyenoord control the game and the hosts struggled to beat the Werkself. They could not stop Lukas Hradecky from scoring another disallowed goal, this time through Ayase Ueda.

Overall, the game was a well-rounded team effort from Leverkusen and they seem to have shaken off the rust they showed in their opening games of the season against VfB Stuttgart, Borussia Mönchengladbach and RB Leipzig. They got the job done in the first half, allowing them to slow down the pace in the second half and save some energy for their game against Wolfsburg on Sunday.

The eleven of Bayer Leverkusen:

Lukas Hradecky (6) Edmond Tapsoba (6)Jonathan Tah (6)Piero Hincapie (6)Jeremie Frimpong (7)Robert Andrich (6)Granit Xhaka (6)Alejandro Grimaldo (7)Martin Terrier (5)Florian Wirtz (7)Victor Boniface (6)

Others: Patrik Schick (5), Amine Adli (5), Aleix Garcia (5), Jeanuël Belocian (-), Exequiel Palacios (-)

GGFN Player of the Game: Florian Wirtz (7)

Surprisingly, this is Florian Wirtz's Champions League debut and a brace on the night was a good start to his Champions League career. The 21-year-old created most of the chances for Leverkusen and was central to their attack and efficiency in the first half.

This award could easily have gone to Alejandro Grimaldo. The Spaniard was at his best at De Kuip, causing problems for Feyenoord not only with his presence but also with his set pieces that forced an own goal. Jeremie Frimpong also deserves praise for his contribution to his game from the right flank.

Jack Meenan