Super Eagles stars Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface suited up for Bayer Leverkusen, but despite their efforts, they couldn’t prevent a thrilling 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig at the BayArena.
Leverkusen, fresh off a comeback victory against Bayer Monchengladbach, returned to action on Saturday, confident of extending their 35-game unbeaten streak, Footballrover reports.
But with Leipzig in town, they knew they were in for a tougher challenge.
Defeat.
90+7' | 2-3 | #B04RBL pic.twitter.com/UwLbSpomzK
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) August 31, 2024
Head coach Xabi Alonso put his faith in Nigerian striker Victor Boniface, starting him up front, while Nathan Tella began the game on the bench.
Leverkusen dominated the first half, showcasing their class and creativity. Their persistence paid off in the 39th minute when Jeremie Frimpong broke the deadlock.
Boniface nearly doubled the lead just minutes later with an audacious overhead kick that had the crowd on their feet, but his effort narrowly missed the target.
No worries, though—Alejandro Grimaldo stepped up in the 45th minute to smash in Leverkusen’s second goal, sending them into halftime with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
However, RB Leipzig had other plans. Kevin Kampl snatched a goal in first-half stoppage time, keeping his team in contention.
The numbers to this evening's defeat. #B04RBL pic.twitter.com/cj6pn3hzwS
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) August 31, 2024
The second half was a different story. Lois Openda brought Leipzig level in the 57th minute, and with the momentum shifting, Tella was called off the bench to help regain control.
Unfortunately for Leverkusen, the intervention wasn’t enough. Openda struck again in the 80th minute, sealing a dramatic comeback win for Leipzig and ending Leverkusen’s impressive unbeaten streak.
In the end, the match was a stark reminder that football’s a game of two halves, and on this day, Leipzig had the final say.
Together in Victory.
Together in Defeat.Bayer 04 Leverkusen. 🖤❤️ pic.twitter.com/tHaR4heI5f
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) August 31, 2024
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