Bayer Leverkusen 4-3 Wolfsburg: Boniface´s last-gasp winner snatches comeback victory

Victor Boniface delivered a 93rd-minute winner as Bayer Leverkusen pulled off a stunning Bundesliga comeback for a 4-3 victory over Wolfsburg on Sunday.

Nordi Mukiele turned into his own net in the fourth minute, but Xabi Alonso’s hosts levelled nine minutes later when Florian Wirtz struck from the edge of the box at BayArena.

Jonathan Tah edged the hosts ahead with a cool header in the 32nd minute but their lead was short-lived as the visitors equalised from Sebastiaan Bornauw’s headed finish.

Further Wolfsburg joy followed when Mattias Svanberg went on a driving run in Leverkusen’s half and curled past goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky on the stroke of half-time.

Alonso made two changes at the break and those alterations soon paid dividends when Piero Hincapie headed home Aleix Garcia’s 48th-minute cross to make it 3-3.

Wolfsburg’s Yannick Gerhardt was then sent off in the 88th minute, with substitute Boniface making use of the one-man advantage to rifle home a loose ball in the penalty area for the winner.

Injury time is now Bayer 04 time. #B04WOB https://t.co/QugMzsdZrM pic.twitter.com/o3UcrDqgeM

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) September 22, 2024

Data Debrief: Boniface heroics mask defensive issues

Boniface proved the late hero after following up his two goals and an assist against Hoffenheim last time out, the second instance of the striker managing three goal involvements in a single Bundesliga game.

Yet the Leverkusen forward’s heroics cannot mask Alonso’s defensive issues, having shipped another three goals here despite only facing an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.66.

Alonso’s men have now conceded nine goals in the league, and are the first defending champions to go without a clean sheet in the first four Bundesliga games of the season since Kaiserslautern in 1998-99.

Fortunately, Leverkusen continue to impress at the other end, accumulating 1.92 xG from 20 attempts on goal as they profited from deadly finishing from the chances they created.