Xabi Alonso praises Boniface: "At a good level again" | OneFootball

Victor Boniface started for the first time since February as Bayer Leverkusen beat VfL Bochum 3-1 on Friday.

The Nigeria international repaid the faith shown in him with a goal, and Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso was pleased with his performance.

"Boni is playing at a good level again. He can certainly play from the start again," Alonso told said at a press conference ahead of Bayer Leverkusen's DFB-Pokal semi-final against Arminia Bielefeld, which will take place on Tuesday.

What was particularly special about the Nigeria international's return to the starting eleven was that he was paired with Patrik Schick in a front two.

In the past, Xabi Alonso has usually started only one of them, but he can imagine playing them together again.

"'Boni' can play as a centre-forward or as a winger. He did a bit of that against Stuttgart and Bochum," said Alonso.

"They can play together or on their own," he added of his two strikers.