Leverkusen head coach lauds Boniface versatility, plays up striking partnership with Schick

Bayer 04 Leverkusen head coach, Xabi Alonso, has praised Super Eagles striker, Victor Okoh Boniface, for his ability to hold other positions when there’s another striker on the pitch, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 24-year-old joined Die Werkself from Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer of 2023 and etched his name into the club’s history in his debut season, winning the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal titles whilst remaining unbeaten.

Boniface hasn’t always played as an outright striker at the Bay Arena. He’s sometimes played on the flank, or upfront alongside Czech striker, Patrik Schick. Alonso is pleased with Boniface‘s ability to produce quality, even when he’s playing out of position.

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Ahead of Leverkusen’s DFB Pokal semi-final against Arminia Bielefield, Alonso played up the possibility of playing his two prolific strikers together.

“Bielefeld has beaten three Bundesliga teams and is totally deserving of a place in the semifinals. We expect a tough opponent. We have to be cool, but we need a lot of energy. In our hearts, in our minds, with passion.”

“I liked both [Boniface and Schick] of them against Bochum, especially in the second half. He [Boniface] did well. Boni is back at a good level and can certainly play from the start. With him, we have flexibility; he can play as a center-forward or as a winger,” the former Real Madrid midfielder said in his pre-match conference, as revealed by Bild.

It wouldn’t be the first time Alonso has spoken about playing the pair up top. After his side’s 4-3 win over VFB Stuttgart, the former Bayern Munich midfielder said;

“Of course, it’s a possibility. We almost played with three strikers today, with [Amine] Adli also on the pitch. We wanted more presence in the box than in the first half.

“With their physical presence, they helped each other, and we were in the box a lot. It worked very well today,” as revealed by BuliNews.

Victory in tomorrow’s clash for Die Werkself at the Schüco Arena will see Alonso’s men dream of winning the DFB Pokal title for consecutive seasons.

On the second side of the semi-final, VFB Stuttgart will take on RB Leipzig, and without a doubt, Leverkusen are favourites to win another domestic title this season.