Boniface sends Leverkusen 7 points clear at top of Bundesliga. Bayern under pressure in late game

Sun, Dec 17, 2023
Soccer News (AP)

BERLIN (AP) - Victor Boniface scored and set up two goals for Bundesliga leader Bayer Leverkusen to send defending champion Bayern Munich a message with a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Leverkusen, the only unbeaten team left in the league, moved seven points clear of second-place Bayern, which fell to a 5-1 defeat at Frankfurt the weekend before.

Bayern was under pressure to respond with a win over fourth-place Stuttgart later Sunday, but the task was made harder with Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and goalkeeper Sven Ulreich dropping out at short notice because of flu.

Kingsley Coman and Noussair Mazraoui were already ruled out with injuries picked up against Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday. Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel only had 15 outfield players available to face Stuttgart, which drew with Leverkusen 1-1 last weekend.

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Leverkusen was out to make amends against Frankfurt, which had made a good start before Boniface broke the deadlock in the 14th minute with the home team's first chance. Florian Wirtz passed to the Nigeria forward on the left. Facing two defenders, Boniface tried a feint, then cut inside and unleashed a low shot inside the far corner.

Frankfurt's defense kept the home team in check until the 51st, when Jeremie Frimpong prodded home after Kevin Trapp saved Boniface's initial effort.

Wirtz made it 3-0 with a wonderful finish in the 57th, chipping the ball over Trapp after Boniface played him through on the left.

Wirtz also struck the crossbar with a similar effort, before Piero Hincapie hit the post late on for Leverkusen.

Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho produced a brilliant sliding tackle to stop Nathan Tella from scoring Leverkusen's fourth in injury time.

FREIBURG EXTENDS WINNING RUN

Freiburg substitutes Michael Gregoritsch and Roland Sallai scored in the second half to beat 10-man Cologne 2-0 in the early game.

Cologne defender Julian Chabot was sent off with his second yellow card 10 minutes before Gregoritsch opened the scoring. Sallai made sure of the win in injury time for Freiburg's third consecutive league win.

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