LEVERKUSEN, Germany — Bayer Leverkusen maintained their position close behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich by securing a 3-1 victory over Hoffenheim on Sunday. The match marked the return of Victor Boniface, who made his comeback after being sidelined due to a thigh injury. This was his first start since early November after a proposed transfer to Saudi club Al-Nassr fell through.
Boniface made an immediate impact, scoring with his very first attempt at goal within 15 minutes of the game, a shot that Hoffenheim goalkeeper Luca Philipp should have probably saved. Leverkusen’s coach, Xabi Alonso, expressed the importance of Boniface as they head into the second half of the season, emphasizing that his game time is crucial for the team’s success. He was substituted for Patrik Schick at halftime.
Although Leverkusen finished the match with ten players following Álex Grimaldo’s red card around the 60-minute mark, their recent signings Emiliano Buendía and Mario Hermoso made their debuts during the game. With this result, Leverkusen remains six points behind Bayern, who won their match against Holstein Kiel on Saturday. A highly anticipated matchup between the top two teams is set in two weeks at Leverkusen.
Leverkusen quickly took control of the game when Jeremie Frimpong added a second goal just four minutes after Boniface’s opening goal. The referee, Robin Braun, made a noteworthy decision during the match when he overturned a penalty awarded to Nathan Tella after VAR review, revealing that Tella had been offside before he was fouled by Hoffenheim’s David Jurasek. This marked a significant moment as it was the first time referees communicated VAR decisions to fans in Bundesliga history, part of a trial aimed at increasing transparency around the VAR system, which has faced criticism from supporters.
“Honestly, I’m relieved that everything worked out. There were no slip-ups, and hopefully, it brought the benefits that were desired,” Braun remarked to DAZN after the match.
In the second half, Buendía, who had come on for the injured Tella, cut through the Hoffenheim defense but saw his shot saved. Schick was quick to react, scoring the rebound and extending Leverkusen’s lead to 3-0, marking his 14th goal of the league season. Just a minute later, however, Grimaldo was sent off, and Hoffenheim’s Gift Orban capitalized by pulling one back with a goal shortly after.
To address Grimaldo’s red card, Buendía was substituted for Hermoso. Despite a few heated moments, Leverkusen’s ten men successfully fended off Hoffenheim’s attempts for the remainder of the match.
Looking ahead, Leverkusen will be facing their local rivals, Cologne, in the quarterfinals of the German Cup on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt managed to draw 1-1 against Wolfsburg.
