Victor Boniface’s early goal wasn’t enough for Bayer Leverkusen as they squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with struggling Holstein Kiel in a dramatic Bundesliga encounter.
Leverkusen, celebrating their 120th anniversary with a special black kit, raced into a commanding position within eight minutes.
The Super Eagles striker opened the scoring just four minutes in, slotting the ball through goalkeeper Timon Weiner’s legs after an incisive pass from Exequiel Palacios. The goal was Boniface’s fourth Bundesliga strike of the season, and it set the tone for Leverkusen’s early dominance.
Two minutes later, Boniface almost added another but was denied by a full-stretch save from Weiner.
Leverkusen doubled their lead in the eighth minute when Jonas Hofmann finished off another Palacios assist, firing low into the far corner. The champions seemed to be cruising as Kiel, bottom of the table and without a win, struggled to find a foothold.
However, Kiel refused to fold. Gradually growing into the game, the visitors threatened through Lewis Holtby, who came close in the 22nd minute. Just before halftime, Kiel found their breakthrough. Max Geschwill headed in Holtby’s corner in the fifth minute of stoppage time, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and shifting the momentum.
In the second half, Kiel’s resurgence continued. Tactical changes brought Fiete Arp and Benedikt Pichler into the fray, and the turning point came in the 68th minute when Jeremie Frimpong fouled Armin Gigović in the box. Arp confidently converted the penalty to level the score at 2-2, marking his first Bundesliga goal since 2017.
Leverkusen, rattled by the equalizer, pressed for a late winner. Piero Hincapié and Martin Terrier both had headers saved, while Kiel almost completed an improbable comeback, with Pichler forcing a brilliant save from Lukáš Hrádecký. Despite both sides pushing for victory in a tense final 20 minutes, the match ended 2-2, with Kiel earning just their second point of the season.
For Leverkusen, it was a frustrating day as they marked manager Xabi Alonso’s 100th game in charge by throwing away a commanding lead.
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