Victor Boniface Nets Brace in Leverkusen’s Drubbing of Hoffenheim as Forest Without Awoniyi Shocks Liverpool

Femi Solaja with agency report

Super Eagles striker, Victor Boniface, again gained the spotlight with two goals scored and provided an assist for the German Champions, Bayer Leverkusen in their 4-1 drubbing of Hoffenheim at PreZero Arena.

The Nigerian star Boniface returned to Bundesliga action after failing to score in his previous four games. Before the break, Boniface had reclaimed his starting shirt in the team, and he started for them against Hoffenheim alongside compatriot Nathan Tella.

Die Werkself were the favourites to claim the win, and they enforced their authority early on. They created the better chances from the start, and it took them just 17 minutes to get the opener. Boniface was the creator, as he sent a nice pass to Martin Terrier, who converted calmly to make it 1-0.

Despite scoring, Bayer Leverkusen kept piling up the pressure. Boniface got a good opportunity to double his side’s lead in the 28th minute, but his header was saved.

He got another chance in the 29th minute after connecting with a corner, but his header just drifted wide. However, he eventually got his goal in the 30th minute, displaying his deadly nature. Boniface latched onto a long pass in the opposition half, ran towards goal, took out a defender and sent a low drive into the net.

Unfortunately for Bayer Leverkusen, they conceded in the 38th minute, courtesy of an effort from Mergim Berisha.

Boniface got another chance to score late in the second half, as he bamboozled the Hoffenheim players in the box and struck an effort at goal. But the Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann made a great save to keep him out.

Die Werkself still looked good in the opening embers of the second half, but Hoffenheim soon grew into the game. Nonetheless, Bayer Leverkusen took the wind off their sails after Florian Wirtz scored from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute.

Boniface then put the icing on the cake in the 76th minute, as he scored again to make it 4-1. The game eventually ended 4-1 in favour of Bayer Leverkusen. Boniface’s goals today were his first goals of the Bundesliga, and he will be looking to add more to it in the coming weeks.

In the English Premiership, Taiwo Awoniyi was an unused striker by Nottingham Forest against all odds shocked bookmakers with a lone goal away win against Liverpool at their Anfield fortress.

It was Liverpool’s first defeat under Arne Slot as they fell to Callum Hudson-Odoi’s second-half goal that proved the difference and extended Forest’s brilliant start to the new Premier League season.

Slot, meanwhile, was left to consider the first setback of his Reds reign after his side were outfought and outthought by impressive opponents.

Forest would no doubt have arrived at Anfield hoping that the hosts’ momentum had been stunted by an unwanted international break, and that certainly seemed to be the case across a disjointed first-half performance.

In part thanks to the visitors’ physicality and discipline, the Reds looked short of their usual rhythm for long spells, though that did not entirely stop them from creating some presentable chances.

The first of those saw Luis Diaz hit the post from close range after picking Ola Aina’s pocket on the touchline.

Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister then spurned good-headed opportunities on either side of Diogo Jota failing to properly catch a volley inside the box.

However, the half-time break arrived with Liverpool having failed to find the breakthrough, and Forest deservedly levelled thanks to an impressive defensive effort.

But Forest never looked anything other than comfortable as they saw out their first Anfield victory since 1969.