Victor Boniface's Return Ignites Bayer Leverkusen's Push in Bundesliga Title Race

Victor Boniface’s re-entry into Bayer Leverkusen’s starting eleven has intensified the pressure on Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race. On Friday evening, Leverkusen secured a 3-1 (1-1) victory against relegation-threatened VfL Bochum, although it wasn’t their flashiest performance. This win narrows the gap to league leaders Munich to just three points. However, the Bavarians have a chance to extend their lead again when they face FC St. Pauli at home on Saturday (3:30 PM/Sky).

“We earned the three points,” remarked Leverkusen’s goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky in an interview with DAZN. “We put on a solid performance—nothing more, nothing less.”

Boniface, returning to the starting lineup for the first time since February 8, scored Leverkusen’s pivotal second goal in the 60th minute. This victory also boosts their momentum ahead of a crucial cup semi-final against third-tier Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday. Aleix García initially opened the scoring for the champions, putting them ahead 1-0 in the 20th minute, but Felix Passlack equalized for VfL in the 25th minute. Amine Adli added to Leverkusen’s tally late in the game (87th minute). Following their Champions League exit against Bayern, Leverkusen’s back-to-back domestic wins signal their return to form.

Bochum, however, remains stuck at the bottom end of the table and risks dropping into the relegation zone on Saturday. Just three weeks after their surprise 3-2 victory in Munich, another upset was not to be. “We aimed to come away with something positive here, so it’s quite disappointing,” admitted midfielder Tom Krauss.

Leverkusen’s coach, Xabi Alonso, who has yet to commit his future to the team beyond the summer, had labeled this match against the relegation contenders as “super important” for the Bundesliga’s final push. He emphasized that “now is the time when everything can be decided. We want to apply as much pressure as possible.” He strategically fielded his forwards Patrik Schick and Boniface together in the starting lineup for the first time this season.

Leverkusen immediately went on the attack, with Jeremie Frimpong attempting the first shot in the 9th minute. Meanwhile, Bochum appealed for a penalty (10th minute) after Passlack fell in the area following a contact with Boniface, but referee Sven Jablonski correctly allowed play to continue. Leverkusen rewarded themselves for their dominant early game when García, unchallenged 20 meters from goal, expertly struck the ball into the top right corner.

Bochum mainly focused on defending but struck back out of nowhere, aided by a crucial mistake by Granit Xhaka. His unintentional header landed at the feet of Gerrit Holtmann, whose attempt was deflected by Hradecky. The rebound was then expertly converted by Passlack into the far corner. Leverkusen sought control of the game but failed to produce any dangerous offense before the break.

Emerging from the locker room with renewed vigor, Leverkusen saw Boniface’s angled shot saved by Timo Horn (46th minute). Bochum was not hiding either, but Matus Bero’s counterattack shot was too central (53rd minute). Boniface made no mistake on the next opportunity: the Nigerian effortlessly scored following Piero Hincapié’s precise pass from a García free-kick. Frimpong (78th minute) couldn’t seal the victory, and another potential Boniface goal was nullified by an offside call (80th minute). Shortly afterward, Adli clinched the match with a calming third goal for Leverkusen.