The Super Eagles duo of Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella have helped Bayer Leverkusen to script a remarkable unbeaten run in what has been an extraordinary season for Die Werkself.
After trailing by two goals, Xabi Alonso's side came from behind to hold Roma to a 2-2 draw at the BayArena on Thursday, 9 May 2024, to reach the final of the Europa League on a 4-2 aggregate scoreline, their first final in European competitions since the early noughties.
The draw marked 49 matches since the club last tasted defeat across all competitions, going back to a 3-0 loss to Bochum on the final day of the 2022/23 season.
Already crowned Bundesliga champions for the first time in their history, the second leg semi-final clash against Roma set the stage for a potential history-making encounter in which Alonso's men scored deep into added time to brush aside Benfica's 48-game unbeaten record that has stood for 59 years.
It's worth mentioning that the all-time unbeaten record was set by Scottish side Celtic from 1915-1917, a run of 62 games including two in a single day. But all of those fixtures came in the league, as did Union Saint-Gilloise’s tally of 60 in Belgium between 1933 and 1935.
However, the best record since the advent of European competitions now goes to Bayer Leverkusen who have extended the run to 49 games (and counting) in the 2023/24 season.
Having aided Leverkusen to exceed Bayern Munich's all-time German football record of 32 games without a loss, and securing the Bundesliga title, Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella will continue their quest for a historic treble with the final of the Europa League and DFB Pokal all set to take place later this month.
But just how important have the Nigerian duo been for Die Werkself? Let's get to know below.
Victor Boniface's contribution to Leverkusen's unbeaten run
Victor Boniface has established himself as a giant piece in the all-blistering Bayer Leverkusen set-up in just his first season in Germany.
The four-time Bundesliga Rookie of the Month award winner is the club's top scorer this campaign with 12 goals in the league, and 19 in all competitions at the time of writing.
Not only that, the 23-year-old has registered ten assists for his teammates (also at the time of writing) which makes it quite clear just how productive a season Boniface is having for Alonso's outfit.
It's even more impressive considering Boniface was injured for three months with an adductor injury which cost him a place in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024). Still, the former Union Saint-Gilloise striker was able to have 29 goal contributions in 31 games across all competitions with still a couple of games left to play.
It is true that goals and assists can come from anyone in the Leverkusen first team squad. However, Boniface has been one of the key figures in the club's unbeaten run and quest for an unprecedented treble.
Nathan Tella's contribution to Leverkusen's unbeaten run
Another revelation this season for Leverkusen is Nigerian midfielder Nathan Tella who has been very useful when called upon.
The 24-year-old has scored five goals in the league for the reigning Bundesliga champions, and one more in the Europa League to take his tally to six in 36 games and counting across all competitions.
The former Southampton player has also provided three assists for his teammates to take his goal contribution for the season to eight, a decent number for a player who made only 16 starts out of his 36 appearances this season.
Granted, Nathan Tella has featured more from the bench for Alonso's side, but his impact in the team's unbeaten run cannot be taken lightly. He played his part for Die Werkself to etch its name in the record books of the longest unbeaten runs across all competitions since the inception of UEFA club competitions.
With that in mind, what are the longest unbeaten runs in history?
Longest unbeaten runs after the introduction of UEFA club competitions
Under Lajos Czeizler and later Elek Schwartz, a Benfica side featuring Portuguese great Eusébio were unbeaten for 48 games between December 1963 and Valentine's Day 1965.
However, as it is said that all records are meant to be broken, Bayer Leverkusen, under the excellent guidance of Xabi Alonso, shattered Benfica's record that stood for 59 years after a stellar 2023/24 campaign.
Here is the list of Europe's longest unbeaten runs in history, beginning with the year, team, and number of games.
- 2023/24: Bayer Leverkusen – 49
- 1963-1965: Benfica – 48
- 2014/15: Dinamo Zagreb – 45
- 2016/17: Rijeka – 45
- 1992/93: Rangers – 44
- 2011/12: Juventus – 43
- 1991/92: Milan – 42
- 1995/96: Ajax – 42
- 2023/24: The New Saints – 41
- 1955/55: Fiorentina – 40
- 1978: Nottingham Forest – 40
- 2016/17: Real Madrid – 40
- 2020/21: Red Star Belgrade – 40
With Benfica's unbeaten run staying unmatched for 59 years, it'll be fascinating to see how long Bayer Leverkusen's record stands the test of time.
