Hoffenheim 1-4 Bayer Leverkusen: Visitors bounce back with emphatic win
Bayer Leverkusen shook off their first loss in over a year, by emphatically brushing aside Hoffenheim 4-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Champions Bayer Leverkusen cruised to a 4-1 victory at Hoffenheim on Saturday thanks to a dazzling performance by Victor Boniface.
The Nigerian scored two goals and laid on an assist, ensuring Leverkusen got back to winning ways in their first game since the international break.
The visitors struck twice in the first half an hour for a 2-0 lead, with Boniface setting up Martin Terrier for a tap-in in the 17th minute before turning scorer with a clever finish.
Mergim Berisha, making his first appearances since a knee ligament tear last November, cut the deficit for Hoffenheim just before the break from close range.
Leverkusen restored their two-goal lead courtesy of a penalty, buried by Florian Wirtz in the 72nd minute, after Dennis Geiger fouled Alex Grimaldo in the box.
Boniface then single-handedly dismantled the Hoffenheim defence with a strong run down the left, powering a shot past keeper Oliver Baumann three minutes later to lift Leverkusen to fourth place on six points.
Data Debrief: Normal business resumed
It came as quite a shock before the international break when Leverkusen's 35-game unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga ended, with RB Leipzig handing them their first defeat in 462 days.
But Xabi Alonso's side quickly shook that result off, and extended their impressive unbeaten run on the road - they are now unbeaten in 19 such matches (W16 D3). It is also the first time they have won their first two away games in a Bundesliga season.
Meanwhile, Baumann made his 464th Bundesliga appearance in this match, drawing him level with Toni Schumacher and Lothar Matthaus. This was his 92nd consecutive game in the competition.