Europa League: Boniface scores first goal of 2024 as Leverkusen defeat West Ham
Nigerian forward Victor Boniface was back among the goals as his first goal of 2024 helped Bayer Leverkusen seal a 2-0 win over West Ham in their Europa League quarter-final clash on Thursday night.
The 23-year-old, who was out for about three months with an adductor injury, scored Leverkusen’s second goal of the game at BayArena to ensure their unbeaten run continues and improves to 42 matches.
Boniface, who replaced Patrick Schick in the 76th minute, doubled his side’s lead in the first minute of stoppage time with a brilliant near-post header following a cross from fellow substitute Jonas Hofmann.
𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 ⏸️
WHAT A WIN! GET IN THERE! 😮💨⚫️🔴
90+3′ | 2-0 | #B04WHU #Bayer04 #UEL #aCROSSeurope pic.twitter.com/g39RufKici
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 11, 2024
West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was enjoying a heroic night as he denied Leverkusen from opening the scoring on multiple occasions, but Hofmann, who came in as a replacement for Morocco’s Amine Adli alongside Boniface, broke the deadlock seven minutes later with a close-range volley.
Boniface’s late strike takes his tally in the competition to five goals in six games, with the Super Eagles forward boasting 17 goals and nine assists in 26 games this season.
The victory, which was Leverkusen’s eighth in the Europa League this season, puts Xabi Alonso’s men in the driving seat of the tie, which will head to the London Stadium for the second leg in a week’s time.
