From penalty miss to hero: Boniface hits winner in Leverkusen’s epic comeback
Boniface hits winner for Leverkusen
Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Nigerian international Victor Boniface went from despair to glory, leading Bayer Leverkusen to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
Boniface, who missed an early penalty, ultimately delivered the decisive blow to secure all three points for his side in a match filled with drama.
The tension began in the 9th minute when Boniface stepped up to the penalty spot after Leverkusen earned an early chance to take control.
With all eyes on him, he attempted to coolly slot the ball into the middle of the net. But Kevin Trapp, Frankfurt’s impenetrable shot-stopper, read him perfectly, saving the penalty and leaving Boniface stunned.
Just a minute later, Martin Terrier nearly made amends for Leverkusen with a brilliant attempt inside the box, but Trapp once again stood tall, keeping the visitors in the game.
Eintracht Frankfurt then came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock themselves, as Omar Marmoush’s powerful strike from outside the box rattled the post in the 12th minute.
The breakthrough came in the 16th minute, and it was Marmoush who struck, converting a penalty with ice-cold precision after earning it moments earlier.
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His low shot into the bottom left corner gave Lukas Hradecky no chance, putting Frankfurt ahead and silencing the home crowd.
But Leverkusen responded swiftly. In the 25th minute, Robert Andrich found himself in the right place at the right time, slotting home from inside the box to level the score at 1-1.
The hosts pushed on, with Andrich and Boniface both threatening again, but the half ended with the scores still tied.
The second half saw Leverkusen surge forward relentlessly, with Robert Andrich smashing a thunderous shot against the post in the 63rd minute, sending waves of frustration through the stadium.
Florian Wirtz dazzled with a series of mazy runs, but his efforts were denied by the ever-reliable Trapp.
Then, in the 72nd minute, came Boniface’s moment of redemption. After seeing his earlier penalty saved and several chances go begging, the Nigerian striker rose highest to meet a rebound inside the six-yard box, nodding it calmly into the left post and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
As the clock ticked down, Frankfurt fought desperately for an equaliser. Hugo Ekitike came closest with a powerful header, only to see it cleared off the line by a determined Leverkusen defence. In the dying moments, Kevin Trapp once again produced a remarkable save, denying Florian Wirtz’s close-range effort to keep his side in the contest. But it was too little, too late.
Victor Boniface had redeemed himself in spectacular fashion, transforming his early anguish into triumph. With the final whistle, Bayer Leverkusen celebrated a hard-fought 2-1 victory, and Boniface’s name was on everyone’s lips as the hero of the day.
