Nigerian forward, Victor Boniface endured a frustrating outing as Bayer Leverkusen were hammered 5-1 by Flamengo’s U-20 side.
The pre-season friendly which took place on Friday, July 18, marked Erik ten Hag’s first game in charge of the German Bundesliga club.
The former Manchester United manager, who was sacked last October after a turbulent stint at Old Trafford, took the reins at Leverkusen this summer following Xabi Alonso’s departure to Real Madrid.
During the pre-season friendly, Ten Hag stayed loyal to Alonso’s trusted 3-4-2-1 setup, fielding a strong starting lineup that featured new Dutch goalkeeper Mark Flekken, Jonas Hofmann, and Nigerian forward Boniface. But things quickly went out of control.
Flamengo’s Lorran broke the deadlock early on, before a clumsy own goal by Arthur doubled the Brazilian side’s advantage.
Leverkusen looked rattled and disjointed, and by the 36th minute, Ten Hag had seen enough, taking out both Flekken and Boniface as the damage became worse.
It didn’t stop there. Matheus Goncalves and Pedro Leao added more goals before halftime, sending Flamengo into the break with a stunning 4-0 lead. Gusttavo later piled on further misery with a fifth, capping off an embarrassing night for the Bundesliga club.
Montrell Culbreath managed a consolation goal for Leverkusen late in the game, but it did little to cover up the overall performance.
While pre-season fixtures are rarely a fair yardstick, the manner of the defeat will concern fans eager to see Ten Hag usher in a fresh chapter.
As for Boniface, the Nigerian striker, who was expected to lead the line with authority, left the pitch early without registering a single shot on target.
The post Boniface Misfires As Eric Ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen Suffered 5-1 Defeat Against Flamengo U-20 appeared first on Naija News.