Victor Boniface wasted no time making his presence felt on his return from injury, scoring the opener in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-1 victory over Hoffenheim at the BayArena on Sunday.
The Nigerian forward had been sidelined for three months, but Xabi Alonso immediately restored him to the starting lineup.
Facing a Hoffenheim side that featured Kevin Akpoguma from the start and Gift Orban off the bench, Leverkusen took control early.
Boniface broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, finishing a well-placed pass from Alejandro Grimaldo inside the box. Four minutes later, Jeremie Frimpong doubled the lead to put the hosts in firm control before halftime.
The 24-year-old’s return goal capped off a significant milestone, as he made his 50th appearance for Leverkusen. Since joining from Union SG in 2023, he has registered 30 goals and 10 assists across all competitions—34 Bundesliga games, eight in the Europa League, four in the DFB-Pokal, three in the Champions League, and one in the DFL-Supercup.
Orban breaches Leverkusen’s wall
Despite his strong first-half display, Boniface did not return after the break, with Patrik Schick taking his place.
The Czech forward quickly made an impact, scoring just five minutes into the second half to make it 3-0. However, Leverkusen’s momentum took a hit in the 61st minute when Grimaldo was shown a second yellow card.
Hoffenheim responded almost instantly. Orban, introduced just after the red card, needed only seconds to get on the scoresheet, reducing the deficit to 3-1. The visitors pushed for a way back, but Leverkusen held firm to see out the win.
Meanwhile, Nathan Tella suffered an injury and was forced off, adding to Leverkusen’s concerns ahead of a crucial period in their season.
