Victor Boniface: Leverkusen Boss Alonso Makes You ‘Up Your Game’ 

Bayer Leverkusen's Nigerian forward #22 Victor Boniface sits after an interview with AFP at the BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany, on April 24, 2024. (AFP)
Bayer Leverkusen's Nigerian forward #22 Victor Boniface sits after an interview with AFP at the BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany, on April 24, 2024. (AFP)
TT

Victor Boniface: Leverkusen Boss Alonso Makes You ‘Up Your Game’ 

Bayer Leverkusen's Nigerian forward #22 Victor Boniface sits after an interview with AFP at the BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany, on April 24, 2024. (AFP)
Bayer Leverkusen's Nigerian forward #22 Victor Boniface sits after an interview with AFP at the BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany, on April 24, 2024. (AFP)

Bayer Leverkusen and Nigeria striker Victor Boniface said Xabi Alonso has a particular advantage over other coaches on the training pitch.

"Imagine you're training and your coach is doing better than you," Boniface told AFP in an interview.

"Then you want to step up your game.

"For him to be involved in training gives us a boost," Boniface said of Alonso, who "has won everything that can be won in football".

"Sometimes he tells me of players he played with, with similar abilities to me. He tries to improve me in my weakest areas."

Leverkusen host third-placed Stuttgart on Saturday knowing they are four games away from becoming the first team to go through a Bundesliga season unbeaten.

Their runs to the German Cup final, where they face second-division Kaiserslautern, and Europa League semi-finals, where they take on Roma, mean they have gone a record 45 games unbeaten in all competitions this season.

'I love penalties'

Boniface, 23, was born in the southern Nigerian city of Akure and told AFP he was "always" a football fan.

Earlier this month, he coolly dispatched a penalty to open the scoring in the 5-0 home rout of Werder Bremen which made Leverkusen Bundesliga champions for the first time.

Leverkusen had never previously won a league title in their 120-year history.

The club's record of second-placed finishes -- often somehow snatching defeat from the jaws of victory -- saw them tainted with the unwanted "Neverkusen" moniker, but Boniface said he was not nervous when he took the spot-kick.

"No. To be honest, I didn't feel pressure. We're football players.

"Moments like this -- I took the responsibility to help the team. That's why I'm here. I love penalties."

The pressure of a spot-kick pales in comparison with some of the struggles Boniface has already endured in his young career.

He moved from Nigeria to Norway at 18, signing with Bodo/Glimt.

Despite playing a part in the club's first-ever Norwegian title in 2020, he tore his ACL twice and later said he considered quitting the game.

After a successful stint with Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, he moved to Leverkusen last July, receiving his first Super Eagles call-up earlier this season, which he called "a dream come true".

He scored 16 goals in his first 23 games but was then injured again while preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, missing four months including his country's run to the final, where they lost to hosts Ivory Coast.

"It was really difficult when I got injured. When I got injured, in my head I said 'OK, I'm missing AFCON, I'm going to miss a lot of games for Leverkusen.'

"During that time it was difficult for me, but I have my teammates and a club which takes care of me.

"It's difficult but at the same time it's just football. There are good moments and bad -- it's just how you take it."

'With this team we can do something'

Many have tipped Boniface for the top and he does already have one essential ingredient: a signature celebration.

"To be honest, it doesn't mean anything," Boniface said of his swaggering, finger-pointing celebration.

After scoring an equalizer in Belgium, he was being chased by a teammate and the striker "was just trying to do something really funny".

"I saw the clip and thought -- this is nice. It's a funny celebration."

Boniface was seen partying alongside his teammates well into the night after wrapping up the title, but also took the time to tell thousands of fans gathered on the stadium grass the season was not over.

"Sometimes it's difficult to switch out of party mood," Boniface said, admitting "the guys who were out, I think some of them had a little bit of a tough day the next day at training."

Boniface said confidently "with this team, we can do something", but refused to look past the next challenge.

"Right now, I don't think anyone is talking about Roma in the dressing room. We are focusing on the game on Saturday.

"After the Stuttgart game, we can focus on Roma."

Boniface, who admits to being a childhood Arsenal fan, said he was not thinking longer term either.

"Right now my full focus is on Leverkusen and being ready to try and achieve more good things with the club."

He does however look forward to playing in the Champions League with Leverkusen, saying "it will be one of the proudest moments for me."



Frustrated Barca Fail to Capitalize on Atletico La Liga Slip

FC Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick looks on ahead of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Getafe CF and FC Barcelona, in Madrid, Spain, 18 January 2025. (EPA)
FC Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick looks on ahead of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Getafe CF and FC Barcelona, in Madrid, Spain, 18 January 2025. (EPA)
TT

Frustrated Barca Fail to Capitalize on Atletico La Liga Slip

FC Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick looks on ahead of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Getafe CF and FC Barcelona, in Madrid, Spain, 18 January 2025. (EPA)
FC Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick looks on ahead of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Getafe CF and FC Barcelona, in Madrid, Spain, 18 January 2025. (EPA)

Barcelona could only muster a 1-1 draw at Getafe on Saturday in La Liga as they were unable to recover ground on the top two in the Spanish title race.

Jules Kounde sent the visitors ahead early on but Mauro Arambarri levelled for Getafe in the first half and Barcelona could not break down Jose Bordalas' well-drilled side.

The draw leaves the third-place Catalans five points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, who lost 1-0 at Leganes earlier in the day, but Hansi Flick's side could not take advantage.

After a slump in the final weeks of 2024, Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup last week and then thumped Real Betis in the Copa del Rey, indicating they were back to their best.

However, they dropped two points on the road in their first league match of 2025 as Getafe, 16th, scrapped their way to a hard-fought point.

"It's not done yet, we still have some matches to play and as I said before, we will fight until the end," Flick told reporters.

"Today it's one point more, not two points less. We missed (out on) two points, but we have to look forwards and make it better next time."

Flick selected what has proven his strongest side in recent weeks to try and get a result at Getafe, against whom the Catalans failed to score on their previous four away visits.

The Blaugrana did not have to wait long to end that run, with Kounde finding the net in the ninth minute.

The French defender, who also scored in the Copa del Rey win against Real Betis in midweek, was cleverly fed by Pedri.

Although David Soria saved Kounde's first effort, he was able to turn the rebound home.

However, after that Barcelona came up against the same old struggles they have often faced at the Coliseum.

Getafe dug deep and did not allow striker Robert Lewandowski, La Liga's top scorer, room to breathe.

The hosts pulled level after 34 minutes when Coba's effort was parried by Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena, but Arambarri pounced to nudge home.

Getafe maintained their typically tight set-up after the break and made life hard for Barcelona.

Raphinha should have struck for Barca in the final minutes but hit the side netting from close range after Lamine Yamal found him with a swirling cross.

"It was a shame, the match, we had control of the game and with one chance they scored one goal against us, it's a shame," Kounde told Movistar.

After the game Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde reported racist abuse aimed at him in the first half from some home supporters.

On Sunday Spanish and European champions Real Madrid, second, host Las Palmas, aiming to move top of La Liga.

Antoine Griezmann missed a late penalty as leaders Atletico Madrid stumbled to a shock defeat at Leganes, ending a club record run of 15 consecutive victories.

Matija Nastasic nodded Leganes ahead early in the second half, with Griezmann dragging a poor penalty wide in the final stages to resign Atletico to a second defeat of the league season.

"I thought we were low on energy, it wasn't enough from us," Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told DAZN.

"We'll keep our head up after (winning) 15 games, we lost this one and we have to keep going forwards... unfortunately the streak is over."

Madrid minnows Leganes, 15th, battled well in defense to keep Atletico at bay in the first half, with Julian Alvarez and Griezmann hitting the woodwork.

Early in the second half, Serbian defender Nastasic headed Leganes in front from a corner, and they protected their advantage without much stress until controversially conceding a penalty for a debatable handball by Sergio Gonzalez.

Griezmann took responsibility from the penalty spot, but rolled his 90th-minute effort wide of the goal.

Atletico must now bounce back in the Champions League, where they are aiming to reach the knock-out rounds, against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

"They were 15 extraordinary games, I feel enormously proud at having set the (consecutive) winning record in Atletico's history," Atletico coach Diego Simeone told DAZN.

"We have to accept that defeat is part of the game and prepare ourselves for Tuesday."