Werder Bremen manager Horst Steffen has criticised Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface after his side’s 3-0 Bundesliga defeat to Freiburg at the Weserstadion on Saturday.
Bremen endured a frustrating evening as Vincenzo Grifo’s first-half penalty put Freiburg ahead, Junior Adamu added a second after the break, and a late own goal from Karim Coulibaly sealed a comfortable win for Christian Streich’s men.
The hosts’ best chance came from the spot in the second half, but Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu denied them with a fine save to preserve his clean sheet.
Boniface, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, was singled out by his coach for drifting out of position. Steffen told Sky (via Getfootballnewsgermany):
“For me, he was too all over the place. It’s okay for him to remain stationary in the centre. It wasn’t how I wanted it to be. It wasn’t just him, but a lot of the guys who weren’t staying in their positions.
Victor Boniface of SV Werder Bremen (R) and Kevin Stöger of Borussia Mönchengladbach compete for the ball during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Mönchengladbach. Photo Credit: Getty Images
We have to stick to our positions so we can overload them again and again. That’s something I’ll be addressing.”
The Nigerian forward failed to provide a focal point in attack and struggled to influence the game as Bremen slumped to their second defeat of the season.
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The result leaves them 14th in the Bundesliga standings with just four points, while Freiburg climb higher up the table.
Boniface had made a bright start to life in Bremen colours, registering an assist on his debut in the 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. But the 24-year-old has since struggled to recapture that impact.
Last season, he managed eight goals and one assist in 19 Bundesliga appearances for Leverkusen, averaging a goal contribution every other game despite limited starts.
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He was also a key figure in Leverkusen’s historic 2023/24 campaign, scoring 14 league goals and 21 in all competitions as the club won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double without losing a single match, a feat that saw him crowned Bundesliga Rookie of the Year.
