Super Eagles striker Boniface involved in three goals as Bayer Leverkusen win big at Hoffenheim 

Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface has finally opened his goal account for the 2024/2025 Bundesliga campaign, scoring a brace and providing an assist as Bayern Leverkusen secured a 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim at the PreZero Arena on Saturday.

Boniface, who joined Leverkusen from Union Saint-Gilloise last summer, had an outstanding debut season, netting 21 goals and delivering 10 assists across all competitions.

His contributions were instrumental in Leverkusen's success as they claimed the Bundesliga title, the DFB Pokal, and reached the UEFA Europa League final.

 However, the 23-year-old forward struggled to recapture that scintillating form at the start of the new season.

In Leverkusen's opening two league fixtures against Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig, Boniface failed to make any goal contributions, sparking concerns about his form.

He assisted Martin Terrier's opening goal in the 17th minute and scored thirteen minutes later, latching onto a lofted pass from Granit Xhaka and finishing with composure.

Hoffenheim responded in the 37th minute, with Mergim Berisha converting from an Andrej Kramarić assist, making it 2-1 going into halftime.

However, Leverkusen extended their lead after the break, with Florian Wirtz scoring a penalty in the 72nd minute.

Boniface added a fourth goal just three minutes later, driving into the box and firing a low shot that beat goalkeeper Oliver Baumann at his near post.

Boniface was substituted in the 86th minute, with manager Xabi Alonso bringing on Czech forward Patrik Schick to see out the game.

Meanwhile, fellow Super Eagles player Nathan Tella was substituted in the 57th minute for Jeremie Frimpong, while Kevin Akpoguma played the full 90 minutes for Hoffenheim and picked up a yellow card.

The brace is expected to boost Boniface's confidence, especially after his recent struggles with the Super Eagles during the international break, where he failed to make an impact in Nigeria's matches against Benin and Rwanda.

Adeyemi Adewale

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