Many Nigerians are interested in the UEFA Europa League and Bayer Leverkusen because of the exploits of one man – Victor Boniface.
The young forward has grown in leaps and bounds since moving to the German side in the summer. He has become the focal point of a team led by former Real Madrid great Xabi Alonso.
How does one describe the exploits of Victor Boniface in the German Bundesliga this season?
Simple – Victor Boniface is the third top scorer in the league behind Serhou Guirassy (VfB Stuttgart – 14) and Harry Kane (Bayern Munich – 9) with seven goals in eight games.
The Bundesliga leaders will be in action on Thursday night against Qarabag FK, who have the same points as the German club.
The big question is – will Victor Boniface be in action against the Azerbaijani side?
π£πΏπ²ππ ππΌπ»π³π²πΏπ²π»π°π² ππ @FKQarabagh
π¬ #Alonso β Both teams are on six points so we know how important the next two games are. We have a good opponent ahead of us, they are in a good phase at the moment. The next two games are key to finishing top of the group.ββ¦ pic.twitter.com/QfZTzuWiSf
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) October 25, 2023
Doubts over Victor Boniface against Qarabag 
Credit: Icon SportBayer Leverkusen is in scintillating form this season. They are sitting atop the league and making a solid case to become champions, with Victor Boniface on fire.
There are high hopes at the BayArena this season, with Xabi Alonso chasing a first league title for the German side. They are a point ahead of VFB Stuttgart and two ahead of defending champions Bayern Munich.
Only one side has prevented them from winning this season – Bayern Munich in a 2-2 draw.
With this, it clearly shows where the club's priority lies. They want to focus on the league, and it means that Nigerian striker Victor Boniface may not feature against Qarabag FK.
Victor Boniface is fit and raring to go, but the manager must manage his time on the pitch to get optimum value from him.
The striker, who made his international bow for Nigeria this year, has been massively influential in Die Werkself's success this term.
Who is likely to replace Victor Boniface?
Alonso has done a solid job with Die Werkself this term. Despite his interest in winning the Europa League, he will be mainly focused on the Bundesliga.
There are no reports that suggest that Victor Boniface would not be in action against Qarabag on Thursday night, but plenty of factors point in that direction.
Their next two games are against Freiburg in the Bundesliga and Sandhausen in the DFB Cup, so Alonso could choose to play Victor Boniface against Qarabag and Freiburg and give him a rest against Sandhausen.
Leverkusen will remain without Arthur and Ayman Aourir, who are both sidelined with tendon and knee injuries.
Victor when he has to defendɹ۬
Victor when he gets to score goals! π#Bayer04 #Werkself |Β @boniface_jrn pic.twitter.com/aksieDlF8D— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) October 19, 2023
If Alonso was to make some changes for this match, the likes of Florian Wirtz, Nathan Tella and Robert Andrich could all start after being named on the bench for Saturday's victory away to Wolfsburg.
In the absence of Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick could take his place. Schick, who just returned from an abductor injury, has not played any game this season but was on the bench against Wolfsburg.
Where to watch the Europa League in Nigeria
SuperSport
The UEFA Europa League is live in Nigeria, with SuperSport owning the exclusive rights to broadcast the matches.
The matches of the competition can viewed on the various Sports channels dedicated to the competition.
DSTV On
If you're on the go and need to stream the Europa League matches, then DSTV On has got you.
ShowMax/ShowMax Pro
MultiChoice may have closed their live streaming sports platform Showmax Pro to new subscribers, but you can still watch the Europa League on the app.
The platform is being revamped for its streaming service later this year.
If you're still not satisfied with DSTV/SuperSport, then there are other platforms you could use.
Live Streaming apps
FuboTV
You can watch the Europa League on FuboTV if you have a subscription, but you will need a solid VPN to access it.
Price: $74.99/month or $24.99/month for Fubo Latino
Free trial period: 7 days
Available games: All games
Paramount+
You can easily unlock Paramount Plus in Nigeria by using a premium ExpressVPN, giving you unrestricted access to the thrilling matches of UEFA Europa League 2023-24.
Price: From $5.99/month
Free trial period: 7 days
Available games: All games
YouTube TV
YouTube TV carries CBS, which holds the rights to broadcast select UEFA Europa League matches in the US. Youβll need a US ZIP code and payment method to sign up.
Price: $72.99/month
Free trial period: 5 days
Available games: Select games + the final
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 days ago
