Boniface Bags Brace, Tella Scores as Leverkusen Thrash Lower Division Side 7-0
Both Nigerian forwards came off the bench to get on the scoresheet, marking a promising start to pre-season after injury-hit campaigns last season.
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Victor Boniface marked his return from a long injury lay off with a brace as Bayer Leverkusen thrashed German fifth division side Sportfreunde Baumberg 7-0 in their opening pre-season match on Saturday.
Fellow Nigerian Nathan Tella also got on the scoresheet for Leverkusen. Boniface came off the bench to put his side 4-0 up in the 49th minute, before adding a fifth goal just four minutes later. Tella, also introduced in the second half, netted the seventh in the 67th minute.
The performance offers an encouraging early sign for Boniface after a difficult season on loan at fellow Bundesliga club Werder Bremen, where injuries limited him to just 11 appearances and two assists without a single goal.
Tella similarly endured a season disrupted by injury, missing long spells of action. His goal in this match continues a promising pre-season for the winger, who has also spoken publicly about wanting to force his way back into Nigeria’s Super Eagles squad after limited involvement with the national team in recent years.
Did You Know?
- Victor Boniface scored twice after coming off the bench in Leverkusen’s 7-0 win.
- He spent last season on loan at Werder Bremen, managing only 11 appearances and two assists without a goal due to injury.
- Nathan Tella scored Leverkusen’s seventh goal in the 67th minute after also coming on as a substitute.
- Sportfreunde Baumberg play in Germany’s fifth tier football pyramid.
- Both Boniface and Tella are Nigerian internationals.
- Tella dealt with three separate injuries last season, missing almost 30 matches for Leverkusen.
- This was Bayer Leverkusen’s first pre-season match ahead of the new Bundesliga campaign.
