A goal and two assists from Nigeria striker Victor Boniface helped Bayer Leverkusen to a 3-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt, sending the league leaders seven points
Bayern Munich and Stuttgart, who are seven and eight points behind respectively, can narrow the gap to Leverkusen when they clash in the Bavarian capital later on Sunday.
Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten Leverkusen, who have won 21 and drawn three of 24 matches in all competitions this season, overran the visitors thanks to a brilliant Boniface performance.
The Nigerian squeezed a low shot under Kevin Trapp to open the scoring 14 minutes in.
Boniface created Leverkusen’s next goal for Jeremie Frimpong early in the second half, his shot rebounding off Trapp and landing perfectly for the Dutch international to slam home.
The 22-year-old, who is almost certain to be selected for Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations bid in January, then helped seal the result, finding Florian Wirtz in space for Leverkusen’s third.
Wirtz, who was again superb while pulling the strings in midfield, hit the crossbar with 10 remaining.
Frankfurt have won just one of their past eight matches in all competitions — last Saturday’s surprising 5-1 home thrashing of Bayern.
Bayern, who have played two games fewer than Leverkusen, will host Stuttgart without midfielders Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, along with back-up goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, all ruled out with the flu.
With Noussair Mazraoui and Kingsley Coman joining Serge Gnabry on the injury list this week, Bayern have just five outfield players on the bench.
Earlier on Sunday, Freiburg’s Michael Gregoritsch and Roland Sallai came off the bench to secure a 2-0 home win over 10-man Cologne.
Dogged but outclassed, Cologne fought hard but were reduced to 10 men with just over half an hour remaining when Jeff Chabot swept Lucas Hoeler’s legs out from under him, picking up a second yellow.
Hoeler was replaced by Gregoritsch and the 1.93-metre tall Austrian had Freiburg ahead shortly after.
Gregoritsch was first to a loose ball in the Cologne box, slamming home to set his side on course for their seventh win of the season.
Gregoritsch has now scored in his past league three games, having broken a goal drought which dated back to April.
“I just keep scoring,” a thrilled Gregoritsch told DAZN.
“I’ve been in the right place at the right time… of course my self-confidence is coming back a little.”
Sallai, who was also brought on with Gregoritsch, scored in the fifth minute of added time to seal the result.
Freiburg, who secured passage to the Europa League knockout round playoffs despite a midweek loss to West Ham, moved up to sixth in the table, leapfrogging Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim.
-AFP
