LEVERKUSEN: Victor Boniface’s 72nd-minute goal was the difference as Bayer Leverkusen beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at home, while RB Leipzig won 2-0 at Mainz to go top of the table. Omar Marmoush sent Frankfurt 1-0 up, before Robert Andrich equalized for the champions midway through the first half and Boniface completed the comeback in the second period. Leverkusen were given an early chance when Amine Adli was felled in the box, sending Boniface to the spot after a long VAR review. The Nigerian’s shot, too soft and central, was gobbled up by Frankfurt goalie Kevin Trapp.

Just five minutes later, the referee was sent to the video screen again, this time finding a penalty for Frankfurt, with Andrich lightly touching Marmoush’s foot. Marmoush showed Boniface how it is done, blasting a low shot left to give the visitors the lead on 16 minutes. The Egyptian now has an incredible nine goals and five assists in just seven league games this season.

Andrich made good on his error soon afterwards, combining expertly with Adli and Martin Terrier to flit through the penalty area for a superb one-touch goal in the 25th minute. Boniface would also redeem himself, giving Leverkusen the lead inside the final 20 minutes, heading in a deflected cross from substitute Florian Wirtz to put the hosts on course for victory. Days out from their home Champions League clash with Liverpool, Leipzig beat Mainz to go top of the table, at least until Bayern Munich’s home match against Stuttgart later on Saturday.

At kick-off, the Mainz fans unveiled a series of banners critical of former coach Jurgen Klopp’s decision to take over as football boss at Leipzig’s parent company Red Bull. The home fans asked “Are you crazy?” and accused Klopp, who coached Mainz to a debut promotion before joining Borussia Dortmund and later Liverpool, of “forgetting everything we gave you”. Still unbeaten this season in Germany despite two Champions League losses, Leipzig hit the lead after 20 minutes thanks to an excellent solo effort from Xavi Simons. Leipzig captain Willi Orban tapped in a rebound from a Lois Openda cross to put his side 2-0 up.

Elsewhere, Freiburg continued their impressive start to the season with a 3-1 home win over Augsburg to go into outright second. Freiburg were three goals up at half-time, with Vincenzo Grifo, Philipp Lienhart and Christian Guenter scoring, before Augsburg’s Phillip Tietz pulled one back in the second period. Borussia Moenchengladbach striker Tim Kleindienst scored a double, days after making his Germany debut, in a 3-2 home win over former club Heidenheim. Hoffenheim won their first game since their season opener, with Andrej Kramaric, Marius Buelter and Haris Tabakovic scoring in a 3-1 win over lowly Bochum, who sit dead last with just one point from seven games. — AFP