Nigeria’s Victor Boniface proved to be the hero for Bayer Leverkusen as his stunning double propelled the team to the top of the Bundesliga table. The 22-year-old striker, who recently joined from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, showcased his brilliance on the field, securing a 5-1 victory over newly promoted Darmstadt.
In the early stages of the match, Boniface opened the scoring with a remarkable solo effort, slicing through the Darmstadt defense before elegantly chipping the goalkeeper. However, Darmstadt quickly retaliated, with Oscar Vilhelmsson tapping in from close range to level the score.
Victor Boniface’s Brace Propels Bayer Leverkusen to Bundesliga Summit
The momentum swung back in Leverkusen’s favor after the halftime break when Argentina’s World Cup winner, Exequiel Palacios, scored a goal that took two fortunate deflections on its way to the back of the net. Leverkusen then sealed the game with two goals in just six minutes, including another from Boniface and one from Germany winger Jonas Hofmann, his first since joining the club from Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Victor Boniface’s Brace Propels Bayer Leverkusen to Bundesliga Summit
The victory underscores Leverkusen’s impressive form under the guidance of manager Xabi Alonso, who assumed the role in October 2022. After the match, Alonso expressed the importance of the win for the team, Boniface, Jonas, and himself, emphasizing the need to maintain focus.
Leverkusen’s next challenge after the international break will be a showdown against Bayern Munich. In the late Saturday game, Bayern will have the opportunity to overtake Leverkusen in the standings with a win against Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart continued their strong early-season home form by defeating local rivals Freiburg with a commanding 5-0 scoreline, mirroring their opening win over Bochum. Chris Fuehrich and Serhou Guirassy both contributed with doubles, while Enzo Millot added a late goal to help Stuttgart bounce back from their previous 5-1 defeat to Leipzig. Guirassy, in particular, has been in exceptional form, tallying five goals in just three games.
In other Bundesliga action, Werder Bremen shrugged off the departure of star striker Niclas Fuellkrug and put four goals past a hapless Mainz side at home. This marked Bremen’s first points of the season after being goalless in their first two matches.
Hoffenheim also staged a comeback, overcoming Wolfsburg 3-1 at home, with John Brooks, Maximilian Beier, and Robert Skov finding the net after Tiago Tomas had opened the scoring for the visitors.
In central Bavaria, Augsburg held the lead twice but was ultimately forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Bochum, thanks to goals from Takuma Asano.
As Leverkusen enjoys their position at the top of the Bundesliga, fans eagerly await the next chapter in this thrilling football season.