Sven Jablonski glanced at Victor Boniface, who had just been bowled to the ground. It was a clear foul – but the referee apparently felt that Boniface’s prey, a free-kick near the halfway line, would have flown too easily for the striker. Jablonski’s look said in the 66th minute: That can’t knock a Nigerian like you down – and let him continue.
Boniface, just 22 years old and only joining Bayer 04 in July, didn’t complain for a second. Instead, he used the next opportunity, less than 60 seconds later, to talk about himself differently. The professional, who last worked in Belgium, accepted a fine pass from Florian Wirtz to the front, then he turned in no time at all, like the Terminator he calculated his chances of a successful shot just before the edge of the penalty area.
After an almost endless 16 nanoseconds, he decided that the rate was too low, so he passed the ball across to Jonas Hofmann, who scored the 4-1 for Bayer Leverkusen against Darmstadt 98 with a low shot – Boniface was noted for an assist , so that he can show six scorer points (four goals and two assists) from three games, which gives the factory club its first perfect start in the Bundesliga in ten years. Almost unheard of: The goal to 5:1 came about without the participation of the massive striker.
How long would promoted Darmstadt withstand the pressure? Not long.
Bayer coach Xabi Alonso said a few weeks ago that he wanted nine points before the international break that followed, which by his standards was an almost presumptuous statement. But a realistic one. Even more: The factory club has left its mark on the Alonso league. Even the tough first half against the initially uncomfortable promoted team can be turned around positively, because Leverkusen acted faster, more precisely and more unpredictably after the change. And was more successful with it.
At times, the Werkself kickers unleashed that short pass tornado in the opposing penalty area before the break, which is beautiful to look at, but which looks like bread without Nutella if the last pass doesn’t arrive. For a while, Darmstadt had to do almost nothing other than not offer the opponent any space and: prevent or clarify vertical passes. Of course, that sounds easier than it is to implement, especially over a period of 90 minutes. It wasn’t really surprising that Bayer found another way to take the lead: a doubly painful moment in which the visiting pros Fabian Nürnberger and Fabian Holland rattled together unchecked. Boniface used the counterattack to score his first goal, after a 70-meter sprint he lobbed the ball over guest goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen.
Before it could be discussed whether it wouldn’t have been fairer to interrupt the game because of the injured guest players (Alonso refrained from celebrating), the “lilies” equalized with their first chance. It was a banal free-kick variant, completed by Oscar Vilhelmsson (24th), which future Bayer opponents should take a closer look at.
After the international break, the duel with FC Bayern will follow – hopefully nobody will be injured by then
How long would the climber withstand the pressure? Not long. Because after Jeremie Frimpong went it alone, Ezequiel Palacios shot from ten meters and benefited from the fact that two Darmstadt players deflected the ball on the way into the goal (49th). After that the spell was broken and the one-man avalanche rolled. In the 61st minute, Boniface made it 3-1 and you had to look at several reps to appreciate how skillfully he did it: he took a pass from Wirtz with his left foot, let it drip back onto his right foot and had set the pace in such a way that he was then able to finish with his left foot in the far corner. It was a left-right-left combination, the kind you only know from particularly elegant boxers. Except that Boniface works with his feet.
The goals for the aforementioned 4:1 and 5:1 followed (Hlosek, 83rd). Another double chance in injury time was a bit negligent for the winged Leverkusen side, which almost ruined their remarkable efficiency rate (Bayer only needed nine chances to score five goals).
After the game, coach Alonso didn’t want to talk about the top game at Bayern in two weeks: “That’s a different topic,” and you can really believe him because, like so many coaches before him, he’s afraid that its excellently performing professionals could injure themselves during the sometimes adventurously long trips to international matches. Boniface, for example, is making his debut for Nigeria right now. And it would be bitter if the duel lost value because, for example, the Werkklub axis (Tah, Xhaka, Wirtz, and Boniface) – which you think they’ve been playing together for years – would suffer short-term damage.
