In a tough night for Bayer Leverkusen, it was Nathan Tella who achieved a new significant career milestone, marking his 50th competitive appearance for the club in their UEFA Champions League clash against Liverpool.
Unfortunately, Tella’s special moment was overshadowed by a 4-0 defeat as Liverpool unleashed a relentless second-half attack at Anfield, leaving Leverkusen little room to recover.
The Nigerian forward entered the game in the 81st minute, taking the place of Alejandro Grimaldo, with Leverkusen already two goals down.
Since joining from Southampton in the summer of 2023 on a five-year deal for £20 million, Tella has shown consistency across various competitions, but Liverpool’s display proved to be a daunting challenge for him and his teammates.
Nathan Tella’s journey to the milestone ends in crushing defeat
Tella’s journey with Leverkusen has seen him appear in 29 Bundesliga matches, six DFB-Pokal games, 11 Europa League contests, three Champions League fixtures, and one DFL-Supercup showdown.
With six goals and six assists to his name, Tella’s contributions have steadily boosted his reputation in Germany, yet the match against Liverpool exposed the hurdles still ahead.
Earlier in the game, Leverkusen thought they had opened the scoring when Jeremie Frimpong sped past Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas and delivered a low strike, only for VAR to rule it out due to a handball in the buildup.
This disallowed goal seemed to set the tone for a frustrating night.
Liverpool’s dominance and Diaz’s hat-trick
After a goalless first half, Liverpool broke through in the 61st minute with a perfectly executed chip by Luis Diaz, followed swiftly by Cody Gakpo’s header just two minutes later, which was allowed after a close VAR review.
With Tella and his compatriot Victor Boniface unable to make an impact, Liverpool further extended their lead with another Diaz goal in the 83rd minute before Diaz completed his hat-trick in stoppage time, sealing Liverpool’s resounding 4-0 victory.
Wasn’t the best of ways to celebrate a new milestone, but Tella will undoubtedly aim to bounce back stronger in Leverkusen’s upcoming fixtures.
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