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For years, the Bundesliga has been somewhat of a foregone conclusion. Year after year, Bayern Munich would romp to glory by a distance, leaving the rest of Germany’s top sides to battle it out for the moniker of best of the rest. However, last season, something changed.
Although the Bavarians would be crowned champions once more, they required an almighty slip-up from rivals Borussia Dortmund. Der BVB topped the table heading into the final game of the season however, they conceded two goals early to Mainz and never recovered. Bayern meanwhile found a late winner through Jamal Musiala away at FC Koln to seal an eleventh straight Meisterschale. This season, despite bringing in England captain Harry Kane, Bayern aren’t having it all their own way. Bayer Leverkusen currently tops the standings, and their squad has been moulded around three African stars.
New Nigerian Striker Takes Xabi Alonso’s Side to the Next Level
Prior to the campaign getting underway, Bayern were huge favourites for yet another German title, as you may have expected. In fact, even though they are currently two points adrift of the league leaders, websites providing online sports betting in Zambia and other African countries make the Bavarians 1.25 favourites for the crown. But Bayern Leverkusen and their newest African signings have taken the North-Rhine Westphalia club to the next level in the opening weeks of the new campaign.
Victor Boniface has been one of the stars of the show for Belgian outfit Union SG. The Brussels-based club have come within a whisker of winning the First Division A in each of the last two seasons and was ultimately pipped to the crown on both occasions. The Nigerian striker netted 22 goals in all appearances last season, including a goal against Leverkusen in the Europe League.
His impressive performances over their two-legged Europa League tie prompted the German outfit to fork out €20m to secure his services, and since his arrival at the BayArena, he has taken his game to the next level. Boniface has scored nine goals in 11 appearances so far this term and his value has more than doubled according to the highly reputable Transfermarkt. He has netted braces on three separate occasions and a number of Europe’s most illustrious outfits are already sniffing around despite him being just three months into a five-year deal.
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Sturdy Defence
Nigeria’s Boniface isn’t the only African sensation to turn out for Leverkusen. Die Schwarzroten has been relying on a sturdy defence comprised of Burkina Faso’s Edmond Tapsoba and the Ivory Coast’s Odilon Kossounou. The former arrived at Leverkusen from Portugal’s Vitoria Guimarães in 2020 while the latter arrived the following year from Club Brugge. The pair hadn’t truly hit it off throughout their first couple of years together and they were only able to help their club to a sixth-placed finish last term.
This season, however, they have started all but one league game together and struck up a fearsome partnership. The duo have only allowed seven goals to be conceded so far this term, the second-best in the league behind Eintracht Frankfurt. If that continues throughout the festive period then a first Bundesliga in the history of the club may very well be around the corner.
