Boniface and Tella bow out of Champions League, as Bayer Leverkusen bow to Bayrn Munich
Victor Boniface’s fight for playing time continued on Tuesday night as Bayer Leverkusen lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich, ending their Champions League run with a 5-0 loss on aggregate.
After losing 3-0 in the first match at Bayern’s stadium, Leverkusen needed a strong performance at home but struggled to score. Coach Alonso chose Patrik Schick to start up front again, leaving Boniface on the bench for the fourth time in seven matches across all competitions. His teammate Nathan Tella also didn’t play at all.
Boniface came on in the 65th minute after Schick didn’t have much impact. The Nigerian forward tried hard but couldn’t score, with four of his shots blocked.
Since returning from injury in late January, Boniface has found it hard to get a regular spot in the team. His last start was on February 8 in a 0-0 draw against Wolfsburg, and he has only played 141 minutes in seven Bundesliga matches. Before his 25-minute appearance against Bayern, his most recent game was a short 13-minute stint in a 4-1 win over Frankfurt.
This season, the 24-year-old has played 20 games, starting 13, scoring 9 goals, and getting 1 assist. His last goal was in a 3-2 win over Köln in the DFB-Pokal on February 5.
Even though the Bundesliga title is already decided, Leverkusen is still fighting for a place in the Champions League and a cup victory. Boniface now faces the tough task of earning back coach Alonso’s trust and working to get back into the starting lineup.
