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Tag: Bayer Leverkusen

  • Transfer: Liverpool table massive offer for Florian Wirtz

    Transfer: Liverpool table massive offer for Florian Wirtz

    Liverpool have launched a massive opening offer for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.

    As the players and manager Arne Slot lifted the Premier League trophy at Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool were tabling an offer in excess of €100m for Wirtz.

    The Germany attacker is also wanted by Bayern Munich and Manchester City, but now favours a move to the new Premier League champions.

    Bayer are prepared to sell, but are insisting on a record fee to part with Wirtz, states German sources.

    Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano is reporting: “Liverpool first official bid for Florian Wirtz in excess of €100m package with add-ons has been received by Bayer Leverkusen.

    “Club to club negotiations underway, restarting today to get the deal done very soon.

    “Wirtz already told Bayer that he only wants Liverpool.”

  • Club releases update on Victor Boniface after car accident

    Club releases update on Victor Boniface after car accident

    Bayer Leverkusen and Super Eagles striker, Victor Boniface was involved in a car crash on Sunday, a day after the club’s 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

    Boniface, who scored a 72nd-minute winner in Saturday’s match, on Sunday shared pictures and video of a smashed car in since-deleted posts on Instagram, as well as what appeared to be a picture of his hand covered in blood.

    However, a club source has said Boniface is doing well after the car accident.

    German tabloid Bild reported that the Nigeria international was a passenger in the car en route to Frankfurt airport and suffered minor hand injuries before being taken to hospital.

    In a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Boniface wrote: “God is the greatest”.

    The Hessen state police website said the accident occurred on Sunday morning.

    “A 28-year-old was driving a Mercedes in the middle of three lanes in the direction of Frankfurt when, according to his own account, he lost control of the vehicle due to fatigue.

    “He  collided sideways with a truck that was driving in the right lane next to the Mercedes,” the report added.

    Boniface’s management agency did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

    The 23-year-old Boniface has scored seven goals in 10 appearances for Leverkusen across all competitions this season.

    German champions Leverkusen, who are fourth in the Bundesliga standings with 14 points from seven games, face French side Brest in the Champions League on Wednesday.

  • Bundesliga: Boniface strike hands Leverkusen thrilling comeback win

    Bundesliga: Boniface strike hands Leverkusen thrilling comeback win

    Bayer Leverkusen pulled off a stunning Bundesliga comeback when they twice fought back from a goal down as Victor Boniface netted a 93rd-minute winner in a 4-3 home victory over VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday.

    Second-placed Leverkusen have nine points from four games, level with SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankurt and two ahead of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, who play later on Sunday.

    In spite taking home the three points, it was far from a convincing performance from the champions, with midfielder Granit Xhaka criticising his side’s defending.

    “This is a huge wake-up call for all of us. We can’t continue with this performance,” Xhaka told DAZN.

    “We can’t defend so naively. That’s not good enough and shouldn’t happen at this level. A top team doesn’t concede two goals in nine minutes! It was all far too easy.”

    Coach Xabi Alonso opted to shuffle his pack, making five changes to the team that beat Feyenoord 4-0 in the Champions League, and Leverkusen suffered a nightmare start as they conceded from a Nordi Mukiele own goal in the fourth minute.

    Leverkusen levelled nine minutes later when Florian Wirtz found space on the edge of the box and swept his shot into the bottom corner, before an unmarked Jonathan Tah scored their second with a cool header at the back post.

    The lead was short-lived as the visitors equalised from a Sebastiaan Bornauw header before Mattias Svanberg went on a driving run in Leverkusen’s half and curled the ball past goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky on the stroke of halftime.

    Leverkusen looked more assured after Alsonso made two changes during the break and their pressure quickly told, as substitute Piero Hincapie headed home a corner in the 49th minute.

    Alonso brought on attackers Boniface and Martin Terrier with Leverkusen desperately seeking a winner and Wolfsburg quickly faded under the pressure.

    The visitors suffered another blow when substitute Yannick Gerhardt was shown a red card in the 88th minute after clattering into Jeremie Frimpong from behind and then stepping on the defender’s ankle.

    Sensing disarray in Wolfsburg’s ranks, the hosts surged forward and Nigerian Boniface, who started on the bench despite scoring twice in Leverkusen’s last league game, pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area and rifled home the winner.

    “We knew how Wolfsburg would play and what we were up against… we really wanted to turn the game around for our fans,” Boniface said.

    “We managed to do that. Now, of course, we’re very happy.”

  • Arsenal was dark time for my family – Xhaka

    Arsenal was dark time for my family – Xhaka

    Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has admitted to feeling relief when leaving the North London club for Bayer Leverkusen.

    Xhaka had a tough relationship with the club’s supporters over the years.

    He had been made captain by boss Unai Emery several years ago, but then fell out with the fans and lost his captaincy.

    But he then went on to play a starring role in Mikel Arteta’s team that nearly won a league title two seasons ago.

    “My wife was there for the first meeting with Leverkusen,” he said during an Amazon Prime documentary on Leverkusen’s last season, which saw them win the Bundesliga unbeaten.

    “I wanted to know how she felt.”

    He added: “It was pure relief for me. I said: ‘Yes! It’s not just me who feels that way, but the family too’.”

    “I was lucky enough to be booed in 2019, as captain at Arsenal, in front of 60,000 fans,” he elaborated.

    “I say lucky because that made me brutally strong.

    “I’m grateful that I got out of there. Because it was a dark day for my family, my wife and my parents. I think it was even harder for them than it was for me.”

  • Bundesliga: Victor Boniface suspended, fined over unruly behaviour in Germany

    Bundesliga: Victor Boniface suspended, fined over unruly behaviour in Germany

    Bayer Leverkusen’s Nigerian forward, Victor Boniface, has been slapped with a one-match suspension and a hefty fine of €25,000 by the German Football Federation (DFB) for engaging in anti-sporting behavior.

    The disciplinary action was announced on Wednesday, following a thorough investigation into the incident that occurred during the DFL Super Cup match against VFB Stuttgart last Saturday.

    Boniface was found guilty of making an obscene gesture, specifically showing his left middle finger to Stuttgart players, as he ran past them immediately after the final whistle.

    This unsportsmanlike conduct has resulted in Boniface being forced to sit out a German Cup match.

    Notably, referee Tobias Stieler did not witness the incident during the game, prompting the disciplinary committee to launch a retrospective investigation and bring charges against the player.

    Both Boniface and his club, Bayer Leverkusen, have accepted the verdict, rendering it a legally binding decision.

  • Boniface scores as Bayer Leverkusen win German Super Cup

    Boniface scores as Bayer Leverkusen win German Super Cup

    Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface scored as Bayer Leverkusen clinched the German Cup on Saturday.

    Boniface netted the opener from close range in the 11th minute. However, Stuttgart responded with goals from Enzo Millot and Deniz Undav to take the lead.

    With Leverkusen on the brink of defeat, Patrik Schick equalized in the 88th minute

    .Xabi Alonso’s team ultimately secured the trophy through a penalty shoot-out, marking the third title Alonso has won with the Bundesliga club.

    Leverkusen look set to defend the the title they won last season and hoping

  • Ronaldo’s purported move to Bayer Leverkusen analyzed

    Ronaldo’s purported move to Bayer Leverkusen analyzed

    Italian Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has made some statements concerning Ronaldo’s purported move to Bayer Leverkusen.

    According to Romano, The Portuguese will likely stay at Al Nassr for another season.

    Romano added that no such transfer is in the works, claiming  that the 39-year-old forward is happy at Al Nassr.

    Recent speculations suggested that Ronaldo was eager to reunite with his former Real Madrid teammate Alonso at the Bundesliga club.

    However, Romano debunked these claims, insisting that Bayer Leverkusen is not pursuing Ronaldo.

    According to him, the Portugal captain has no plans to leave his current club, Al Nassr.

    “We have also had some interesting rumours about Ronaldo and Bayer Leverkusen because of his strong relationship with Xabi Alonso.

    “They are good friends, but no – Leverkusen are not working on this deal, no one is working on signing Ronaldo because he is very happy at Al Nassr and is not planning to change,” Romano wrote in his latest Daily Briefing Newsletter.

    Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr will expire in the summer of 2025.

  • BREAKING: Hat-trick hero, Ademola Lookman fires Atalanta to Europa League victory

    BREAKING: Hat-trick hero, Ademola Lookman fires Atalanta to Europa League victory

    Nigerian winger, Ademola Lookman produced three fantastic finishes against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday to hand Atalanta the 2023/2024 UEFA Europa League title.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Lookman’s first goal came in the 12th minute of the Europa League final before pulling the trigger again to fire past Leverkusen’s goalie, Matej Kovar in the 26th minute of the game.

    Lookman nutmegged Granit Xhaka before launching a stunning long-range effort from the edge of the box which went straight into the goal as he completed his brace within 26 minutes of the game.

    In a moment of magic, Lookman got his name on the scoreboard again in the 76th minute of play, completing his hat-trick to become the first player to score a hat-trick in a Europa League/UEFA Cup final since Jupp Heynckes for Gladbach in a 5-1 2nd leg away win over FC Twente in 1974/75.

    The three goals scored by the Nigerian winger handed Atalanta the Europa League title, dishing a heavy blow to the German side’s dream of winning the treble unbeaten this season.

    Born on 20 October 1997, Lookman is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie A club Atalanta. Born in England, he plays for the Nigeria national team.

    Lookman made his senior debut in 2015, playing as a forward for Charlton Athletic of the Championship.

    He signed for Everton in January 2017, where he played mainly as a winger. He has represented England from under-19 to under-21 levels. In 2022, Lookman made his debut for Nigeria.

    Born in Wandsworth, Greater London, to Nigerian parents, he attended St Thomas the Apostle College in Peckham where he achieved three A*s and five As at GCSE.

    Lookman joined Charlton Athletic’s academy in 2014 after signing from Waterloo, a youth football club based in the London Borough of Lambeth.

    His goalscoring record for Charlton’s U18 and U21 teams led to him making a rapid ascent through the Charlton academy ranks and he made his first-team debut for the Addicks on 3 November 2015.

    He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on 5 December 2015, and then followed that up with both Charlton’s goals in a 2–2 draw with Bolton Wanderers ten days later.

    Lookman signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Everton on 5 January 2017 for an undisclosed fee, reported as an initial £7.5m potentially rising to £11m with add-ons.

    He made his debut for the club ten days later in a 4–0 victory over Manchester City, replacing Ross Barkley in the 90th minute and scoring the team’s fourth goal.

    Lookman made his first European appearance for Everton in a 1–0 win over MFK Ružomberok in the Europa League third qualifying round first leg.

    Although manager Sam Allardyce stated that Lookman would not be leaving on loan in the January 2018 transfer window, the club eventually arranged a loan move to Championship club Derby County, where they hoped he would play regular first-team football.

    However, the player insisted on an alternative move, and instead joined Bundesliga club RB Leipzig until the end of the 2017–18 season. In his first game with Leipzig, Lookman scored the winning goal in the away game against Borussia Mönchengladbach after coming on as a late substitute.

    On 25 July 2019, Lookman returned to RB Leipzig on a five-year contract. On 30 September 2020, Lookman joined Premier League side Fulham on a season-long loan. He scored his first league goal for Fulham against Sheffield United on 18 October.

    On 31 August 2021, Lookman joined Leicester City on a season-long loan. On 11 September 2021, he made his Leicester debut as a 73rd minute substitute during a 1–0 defeat to Manchester City. On 28 December 2021, Lookman scored the only goal in their 1–0 win over Liverpool.

    On 4 August 2022, Lookman joined Serie A club Atalanta on a four-year contract for a reported fee of €15 million. He scored on his debut for the club, a 2–0 Serie A win over Sampdoria on 13 August.

    In January 2023, he scored braces in three consecutive matches: a 8–2 Serie A win over Salernitana, a 5–2 Coppa Italia win over Spezia and a 3–3 Serie A draw to Juventus.

  • Bundesliga: Victor Boniface scores 21st goal as Leverkusen end season unbeaten

    Bundesliga: Victor Boniface scores 21st goal as Leverkusen end season unbeaten

    Super Eagles and Bayer Leverkusen forward, Victor Boniface was on target as his German side, Leverkusen defeated Augsburg 2-1 in their final Bundesliga clash on Saturday at Bay Arena.

    The result meant that Leverkusen  were unbeaten for the entire 2023/24 season, the team has also qualified for all the finals avaiilable to them this season.

    Boniface opened scoring for the home team in the 12th minute.

    The Nigeria international scored 21 goals and provided nine assists across all competitions for Die Werkself this season and thus in the running to displace Victor Osimhen as Africa;s best player.

    Robert Andrich doubled Bayer Leverkusen’s advantage six minutes later.

    The visitors reduced the deficit through Mert Komur in the 62nd minute of the encounter.

  • Bayer Leverkusen makes history with unbeaten league title

    Bayer Leverkusen makes history with unbeaten league title

    Bayer Leverkusen became the first Bundesliga team to finish a league season unbeaten as their dream of an ‘invincible treble’ remained alive.

    Xabi Alonso’s side had already secured their first league title but made more history as Saturday’s 2-1 win at home against Augsburg ensured they finished the domestic campaign undefeated.

    Leverkusen season-long unbeaten run is now at 51 games in all competitions – already breaking a 59-year-old Uefa record – and two more wins will secure a remarkable treble.

    They face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by the German Cup final against second-tier Kaiserslautern three days later.

    In a party-style atmosphere, Leverkusen were rarely troubled by Augsburg as Victor Boniface opened the scoring after 12 minutes, converting Amine Adli’s pass from inside the penalty area.

    The lead was doubled soon after from a close-range effort by Robert Andrich and, despite Mert Komur’s second-half strike in reply, Leverkusen were able to finish a memorable league campaign in winning ways.

    Leverkusen have surpassed the 49-game unbeaten run Portuguese giants Benfica enjoyed between 1963 and 1965.

    This season they won 28 of their 34 games in the Bundesliga, scoring 89 goals and conceding just 24.

    Their last league defeat was at the end of last season, when they lost 3-0 at Bochum.

    Should they finish the season unbeaten in all competitions then it will be 53 games they have gone without experiencing defeat.

    BBC