AFCON 2025
Super Eagles of Nigeria striker Victor Boniface was back to his goalscoring best, to help Bayer Leverkusen defeat Bochum 3-1 at home.
The victory saw Xabi Alonso’s men cut the gap on leaders Bayern Munich to just 3 points, having played a game more.
We like it 😎#B04BOC pic.twitter.com/UMh1TYizVa
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) March 28, 2025
Xabi Alonso stunned observers by pairing Boniface with Patrik Schick up top, ditching the usual 4-2-3-1 for a 3-4-1-2 setup.
The gamble paid off. After Alejandro García’s 20th-minute curler put Leverkusen ahead, Bochum’s Felix Passlack responded with a stunning 26th-minute volley to level the score.
A tense first half ended 1-1, with Leverkusen dominating possession but failing to convert.
The second half belonged to Boniface. On the hour mark, he tapped in from close range after Piero Hincapié’s clever flick from García’s free-kick, a goal upheld by VAR.
Though a second strike was ruled offside in the 80th minute, following a sublime Granit Xhaka pass and Jeremie Frimpong’s assist, Boniface’s impact was undeniable.
Amine Adli sealed the 3-1 victory in the 87th minute, capitalising on a Bochum error to give the champions that two-goal cushion.
