Victor Boniface and Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning Bundesliga champions, made a resounding statement in their Champions League opener on Thursday, defeating Feyenoord 4-0 in Rotterdam.
Xabi Alonso’s side, who made history with their unbeaten Bundesliga title win last season, showcased their prowess with four first-half goals.
Florian Wirtz opened the scoring with a precise shot from the edge of the box after just five minutes.
Alejandro Grimaldo doubled the lead with a clever finish in the 30th minute, followed by Wirtz’s second goal six minutes later.
Timon Wellenreuther’s own goal just before halftime sealed Feyenoord’s fate.
Leverkusen’s Boniface, who made his Champions League debut, took to social media to express his pride:
“From paying 30 naira to watch Champions League football at night in 323 Army Barrack, Akure, to playing my first Champions League game. Proud of this moment.”
Other results
In other matches monitored by Diaspora Digital Media, Barcelona suffered a 2-1 loss at Monaco, despite coming off a 4-1 win over Girona in the La Liga last weekend.
Eric Garcia’s early red card proved costly, as Maghnes Akliouche and George Ilenikhena scored for Monaco.
In the Spanish capital, Atletico Madrid secured a dramatic 2-1 win over RB Leipzig, thanks to Jose Maria Gimenez’s late header from Antoine Griezmann’s cross.
Benjamin Sesko had given Leipzig an early lead but it Diego Simeone’s that had the last laugh.
In Serbia, it wasn’t a good outing for Peter Olayinka and his teammates as Benfica edged Crvena Zvezda 2-1, with goals from Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu and Orkun Kokcu.
Milson’s late strike made for a tense finish, but Benfica held on for the win.
Also on Thursday, Arsenal secured a valuable point in Italy, playing out a goalless draw against last season’s Europa League winners, Atalanta.
The Gunners’ fourth clean sheet from five competitive games this season was a testament to their solid defence, which rarely looked troubled throughout the match.
However, Thomas Partey’s momentary lapse in judgement almost proved costly, as he dragged down Ederson in the box and conceded a penalty.
Fortunately, David Raya came to the rescue, spectacularly saving Matias Retegui’s spot-kick and the ensuing rebound header to preserve Arsenal’s clean sheet.