Boniface's Early Strike Not Enough as Leverkusen Surrender 2-Goal Lead in 2-2 Draw with Kiel

In an exciting Bundesliga matchup on October 5, 2024, Holstein Kiel staged a remarkable comeback to secure a 2-2 draw against reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena. Leverkusen seemed to be cruising early on, with goals from Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann putting them 2-0 up within the first eight minutes. Boniface slotted in after a clever assist from Exequiel Palacios, who was celebrating his 26th birthday. Hofmann doubled the lead just minutes later, with Palacios again providing the assist.

However, Kiel, who had been struggling at the bottom of the table, showed incredible resilience. Just before halftime, Max Geschwill headed in from a corner to pull one back, giving the visitors hope. In the second half, Kiel brought on Fiete Arp, whose impact proved decisive. A penalty awarded for a foul by Jeremie Frimpong allowed Arp to score and level the match at 2-2 in the 69th minute.

Both teams had chances to win it late, with Leverkusen pushing hard but unable to break Kiel’s defense. Despite the draw, Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso expressed frustration with his team’s complacency, as they allowed a promising lead to slip away. For Kiel, this result was a morale boost as they earned only their second point of the season.