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Victor Boniface was missing in action as Nathan Tella helped Bayer Leverkusen start the new year in style at Borussia Dortmund.
Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface may be sidelined due to injury, but he made his presence felt during his team's thrilling 3-2 victory against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park.
Just 25 seconds into the match, Boniface’s teammate Nathan Tella scored a stunning goal, igniting the game and setting the tone for an exciting start to 2025 on Friday night.
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10:46 - 10.01.2025
Where is Lookman and Osimhen? Victor Boniface named most valuable Super Eagles player
Africa's finest Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen were nowhere to be found in the 100 best-valued players list with Victor Boniface the only Nigerian listed.
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17:22 - 14.12.2024
Augsburg vs. Leverkusen: Tella provides spark as Super Eagles derby ends in defeat for Onyeka
Nigerian duo of Frank Onyeka and Nathan Tella went head-to-head as Augsburn hosted champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Tella's opener came from a defensive misstep by Dortmund, who lost possession while passing hesitantly across their box.
Burkina Faso’s Edmond Tapsoba capitalised on the error, winning a header that set up Tella for a powerful shot past goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
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This goal not only marked Tella's first Bundesliga goal of the season but also came on the heels of his earlier success in the DFB Cup against Bayern Munich.
From his vantage point off the pitch, Boniface expressed his support for Tella on social media, tweeting a simple yet encouraging message:
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"Ok, Nathan."
His words reflected the bond within the team, even as he recovers from an injury sustained while on international duty.
Leverkusen's momentum continued to build, with Patrik Schick doubling their lead just eight minutes into the match.
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Although Dortmund responded with a goal from Jamie Gittens, Schick added a second before halftime, restoring their comfortable two-goal cushion.
In the second half, Dortmund put up a spirited fight, converting a penalty through Serhou Guirassy in the 79th minute.
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However, Leverkusen held firm to secure their sixth consecutive league win, putting themselves just one point behind league leaders Bayern Munich and back in contention for the league title.
Boniface's absence has been felt, but the match showed the depth of Leverkusen’s squad, with Tella stepping up in a big way.
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The striker will be looking forward to joining his Super Eagles mate and his other teammates as they continue their title defence ambitions in 2025.
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