Nigerian forward Victor Boniface marked his UEFA Champions League debut with a goal, helping Bayer Leverkusen secure a narrow 1-0 victory over AC Milan at the BayArena on Tuesday night.
Leverkusen had previously triumphed 4-0 in their opening match against Feyenoord, while AC Milan faced a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at the San Siro in their last outing.
The contrasting results from their opening games led both teams to play cautiously, resulting in an exciting first half that ended without any goals as they went into the break level.
However, Leverkusen quickly broke the deadlock after halftime, thanks to a brilliant interplay between Victor Boniface and Jeremie Frimpong, with Boniface finishing the move to put the hosts ahead.
Victor Boniface, who recently made headlines with his cheeky, Thierry Henry-esque pass against Feyenoord, was the standout performer once again, proving to be the difference-maker on another unforgettable night for the German club.
AC Milan struggled to find the back of the net as Leverkusen held firm to clinch their second Champions League victory.
In other matches, Dortmund thrashed Celtic 7-1, Inter Milan defeated Red Star Belgrade 4-0, and Manchester City also triumphed over Slovan Bratislava with a scoreline of 4-0.
