No Victor, no win! Forgotten Super Eagles duo missing, Tella features as Leverkusen lose without Boniface

Bayer Leverkusen suffered defeat against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Nathan Tella featured for the German champions, but compatriot Victor Boniface was unavailable, while two other Super Eagles players were missing from the squad.

In the first shock of the season at the BayArena, Bayer Leverkusen suffered a home defeat to Hoffenheim, failing to secure points in the opening fixture of the Bundesliga season under Erik Ten Hag.

The game was marked by the absence of Victor Boniface and the notable missing presence of another Nigerian international, Gift Orban, while compatriot Nathan Tella featured in an underwhelming display for Leverkusen.

Missing Super Eagles Stars

Hoffenheim’s Orban, who continues to be absent from the squad, did not feature once again. His last outing for Hoffenheim was a preseason friendly against Metz, and his last Bundesliga appearance dates back to May 3rd, where he remained an unused substitute.

Fellow Nigerian Kevin Akpoguma was named on the bench for Hoffenheim and came on late in the match but could not influence the result.

For Leverkusen, the spotlight was on Nathan Tella, who retained his spot in the starting eleven, proudly representing Nigeria.

Unfortunately, Victor Boniface, who is on the verge of a transfer to AC Milan, was missing, and his absence was clearly felt as Leverkusen struggled to break Hoffenheim down effectively.

Game Highlights and Key Moments

The first real chance of the game fell to Hoffenheim in the early stages when Lemperle forced a close-range effort narrowly against the post, almost opening the scoring. 

Leverkusen responded sharply; from a free-kick delivered by Alejandro Grimaldo, Jarell Quansah headed home to open the scoring, capitalising on some poor defending.

However, Hoffenheim quickly turned the tide. At the 21-minute mark, a slick move saw Toure slide a precise reverse pass to Lemperle, who cleverly outpaced Quansah to fire a clinical finish past goalkeeper Flekken, to fire the visitors level in a well-deserved manner.

Leverkusen had a scare when a poor back-pass almost gifted Hoffenheim a goal, but Flekken's sharp reaction prevented the scoreline from extending.

Speed and Impact

As reported by Bundesliga, Tella showed his pace and work rate, clocking the second fastest speed of the match at 32.65 km/h, just behind Hoffenheim’s Bazoumana Touré who hit 33.40 km/h. Despite his speed and effort, Tella couldn’t provide the spark Leverkusen needed.

After halftime, Hoffenheim took control. Six minutes into the second half, Leverkusen failed to clear a long ball from Hoffenheim’s goalkeeper Baumann.

Asllani laid the ball back to Lemperle, who again found space to unleash a powerful low shot, beating Flekken to put Hoffenheim 2-1 ahead. The goal left Ten Hag visibly frustrated as his side struggled to regroup.

Bayer Leverkusen's opening day performance highlighted the challenges of missing key players like Boniface. Despite Tella’s presence and glimpses of intensity, the home side couldn’t match Hoffenheim’s cohesion and quick movements.

Hoffenheim, arguably the better team, capitalised on their opportunities to secure a valuable away win.