Substitute Nathan Tella grabbed an assist as Bayer Leverkusen defeated Hoffenheim 2-1 to maintain their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga.
Hoffenheim went in front through Maximilian Beier three minutes after the half hour mark.
Tella took the place of Jonathan Frimpong on 86 minutes.
Leverkusen equalised two minutes later through Robert Andrich.
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Tella then set up Patrick Schick for the winning goal in stoppage time.
Xabi Alonso’s side extended their lead at the top of the table to 13 points.
Holders Bayern Munich will take on Borussia Dortmund later in the day.
Thomas Tuchel’s side will cut down the lead to 10 points if they beat their rivals at home.
19 Comments
This is the same Nathan Tella that our interim coach REFUSED to give playing time to Vs Ghana and Mali.
@ABDULRAZAK my brother… the decision not to play particularly Tella and Bashiru in those two friendlies by Finidi was horrendous… was he doubting the quality of those two? It just appear some of these coaches don’t even watch these boys at their clubsides to know their pedigree.
Everyone who was rallying behind Finidi before those two games felt embarrassed afterwards after scrutinising his decision making and squad selection skills, I want to suggest he should even be relieved of his assistant coach capacity. What I hate most is sentiments when a coach selects players to prosecute games… Finidi dropped the ball bigtime.
Our local coaches are biased…give it to hausa man…and he will fill all Northerner give it to and igbo man…same thing…only few of them..e.g. Siasia and Sunday Olise. The rest na bigotry mentality. ..
The best coach for Nigeria remains a foreign one. Those that played the friendly are largely the reserved of Pesero and now I know why he kept some on the bench all through the tournament….and why he didn’t call up some players even when caf has increased the number of contingents. Dessers number one
Please guys can we call Finidi a slack, have we asked why he didn’t start Tella in any of the 2 games? i watched their game today, and yes can’t really say he is spectacular in the 5 mins he played. Hoffenheim just went to sleep in that game. More-so the games he has featured for the country he hasn’t really being fantastic. So please not not be in a haste to jump to conclusion.
As we talk now our super eagle is divided according to owngoal those players that has nothing to do with the team is with finidi and the real players is at the other side imagine what the future will be if finidi continues as coach a player like tella couldn’t test a second of the two friendly even our best player at afcon could not start a game. God help us.
Who exactly are the real players? Why not ask that question of why certain players didn’t play. I bet if lookman had started that game he wouldn’t score? He was fortunate to have scored against a tired Ghanaian backline. But when paseiro didn’t start many of this players during many of his friendlies, their were no issues, because he was a white man. But now a blackman is at the helm, he is being called all sorts of name. Like i said earlier give the man a break, let he decide what he wants for his team. This is how the whle drama with Oliseh started. And to be franki don’t see whats fantastic about Lookman. His misses during the qualifiers to Qatar is still their. Except you want to lie, how fantastic was he at the last AFCON, he better be careful else he plays himself out of the team.
Amadi or what is your name , it is obvious you are one of the few Igbo who doesn’t want other tribes to have a taste of the national team. To open that your big mouth to say lookman is not fantastic shows your ignorance. Of the game. We are not goin to give that thing call Finidi a break to break our hearts . We need a smart coach and obviously your kings man Finidi or Amunike can’t be categorized as one .
The two goals scored against Ghana were scored by Yorubas , so it goes to show that every tribe in Nigeria has got something to offer when it comes to football. If not for lookman , do you think Nigeria would have gotten to the final when your Almighty Osi failed to deliver.
Was lookman fortunate to have scored against Cameron also ,useless man . Please don’t ever near lookman to insult him . Tell me Nigeria best player in this season if not lookman . Presently he is the second most technical player after Ol Aina.. lazy people trying to bring people down .
Your response is just laughable. Am not a tribal bigot for your information, that’s my opinion and assessment of the player. You don’t have to buy it because i didn’t shove it down your childish brain. Don’t know where in my comment that makes me a tribal bigot? E gba mi. You said he is technical, will come back and remind you when he fails to turn up when it matters most. Everyone make assumptions here and their like they were in camp with the team. To answer your question, apart from boniface, no Nigerian player in performing this year. Look who is saying someone is bring a person down, are you and your co-horts not doing the same with the coach.
Are you for real @Amadi? So Lookman wasn’t impactful at the last AFCON? Naija sha we hail thee!!!
@Amadi… clearly you are an Igboman… you views here are the reasons most regions in Nigeeia sew the Igbos as greedy and intolerant. Lookman is a starter for Super Eagles and the most effective forward since Afcon… your comment is shameful to say in all the games Tella has played for the country he did not perform… how many games are you exactly talking about that he played for Nigeria and did not perform? Guy you are a tribal bigot… dude go hide your face in mud.
Wow, your comment really took me by surprise and to call me a tribal bigot for a comment that doesn’t even have any tribal undertone in it is shocking. Always love to read your piece on this platform, but for you to call me a tribal bigot for criticizing a player from another tribe is so shocking. Where in my response was i advocating for any igbo players? Can’t believe this is coming from you, you have on numerous occasions on this platform made cases for players from the Middle belt of the country, no one called you a tribal bigot. Why should i cover my face in shame, because i spoke my mind. Haven’t you severally asked why Musa is being called up to the National team, did anyone call one call you a tribal bigot. Please show me where my comment is tribal?
Honestly speaking my respect for Finidi nose dived after the two matches and am beginning to think Finidi is a bigot just like Amunike. According to own goal , some NFF anonymously told them that after the two games they are now skeptical about giving the job to Finidi who most NFF believed he was competent . But now they saw him toeing the step of Amunike who many FA members believed selected u17 based on tribe ad Oliseh who came and disorganized the team .
To them Finidi lack management skills needed to succeed as Eagle’s Coach . Some of the foreign players confronted him after the loss to Mali and asked where they were invited when he didn’t have plan for them . How could a sensible coach make use of 2 spots when there are 5 spots . Why couldn’t he introduced some new players when it was evidence that the on field players were playing rubbish. Tella just switched nationality , was he not supposed to give him playing time at least to confirm his switch of nationality .
Honestly speaking , am suprised. Why was he playing old tired legs like Awaziem and Omeruo, when we should be looking for future stars ?
Then if i may ask what is NFF doing to convince Tosin, Eze and Oliseh . We need them . This is where i respect Pinnick. We need to humble ourself and beg these players if need be.
Lookman is currently among the best 11 in Africa. It is highly disrespectful and delusional for a coach to bench him for spoilt brats and internet overhyped players who have contributed much less.
I was one if those that supported Finidi’s application for continuity sake. I would have been attacking nff if he was never given the chance.
The very first match he came up with a strange and weird starting 11 like he was never part of Pesseiro’s team.
It was obvious clueless Finidi was busy growung his ijagbon, shacking ogogoro or overfeeding his pot-belly. Perhaps, he could be building a mafia gang in the team luke he did with 94 set.
Pseesseiro provided useful insights about the main players (Nwabali, Ekong, Aina, Semi. Bassey, Onyeka,
Osi, Lookman) and how to get the best out of a player (Onyeka).
But the clueless dumbo decided to field bench warmers ahead to the real ones. Lookman justified himself scoring the only real goal.
He fielded all outfield players except Fisayo, Tella, Yusuf, and Sadiq, gave few minutes to the best player on the team (Lookman).
This us the reason why the honest ones will never be in support of Clueless Finidi or Serial Failure Amunike being part of national set-up.
They are both influenced by ego, tribalism, and corrupt mind. As assistant coach, Amunike was busy opposing the team, fighting to hijack and overthrow Cerezo and we know how it ended.
Like someone mentioned, Finifi and Siasia are among few coaches that are technically gifted, honest and open
about the national team.
I meant Oliseh and Sia1.
These unah half-baked african guadiolas never cease to amaze.
First it was Eguavoen who needed to go to Europe to watch the then top scorer in the Europa Conference League (Dessers) b4 he can list him for AFCON but somehow found a away of sneeking in South Africa based Ndah and Spanish 2nd division based Nwakali into the final squad even both players were never in the 35man initial shortlist sent to CAF
Now it is Finidi who somehow found a starting space for a Tanzanian league-based Taminu, but kept the Tellas and Dele-Bashirus of this world rooted to the bench in two consecutive FRIENDLY MATCHES.
Leopards surely never change their spots
To add salt to injury, Mali took his BEST SHOT as a coach to the cleaners without even leaving gear 1…..LMAOoo
Amadi you are wrong about ademola. I am sorry to say that. You’re also wrong about Tella. He has not been given much chances in the team.
Really, despite my support for finidi to continue with the team because of continuity and because I know nff will not get a good coach and because the time is so short before the qualifiers.
Finidi did not really do his chances any world of good.
You don’t bench Tella in two friendly matches without giving him any minutes at all. It just does not make any sense at all.
I mentioned in a comment before the two friendlies that the only player I want to see is Tella. I am sure Nigerian fans wouldn’t have come to nail him if he had fielded the right players even if he had lost like he did.
Same with Bashiru, same with sodiq, same with Yusuf.. He even used iheanacho as a top man when sodiq was on the bench!
And the worst part is that he has not even said anything or explain to Nigerians why he did that
S good decision would have been sodiq and Tella instead of iheanacho and Simon in that second match. I am not really one who get crazy about winning friendly matches. Try out new players and let us see. Friendly matches are meant for that. We lost against guinea before afcon but guinea went home early at afcon and we got to the final.
Just like drey said eguavon put forward the same attitude when he said he was not aware of desser when he was painting the conference league with goals.
So sad. Nigerian coaches are giving Nigerians the chance not to trust them. Finidi come out and tell us why these four players were not featured. Let us know. So that finidi will not become finish in the super eagles.
Despite this my take still remains if we can’t get a good coach, that’s a top coach, we should let finidi prosecute these matches. These knocks probably would have knocked some senses into his head. It’s sad that pesero had to go. Though he is not the best of coaches but because of the short time and the opportunity to use his experience at Afcon, we would have just done enough to win the world cup ticket. But if we go to bring another journey man within this short time, it won’t do us any good.
Well christian that’s just opinion about the player, yes he may have saved us at the AFCON with his goals, does that make him a fantastic player all year round. Does my opinion warrant being called a tribal bigot. Have asked why during Rorh and Paserios reign as coaches of the team, non of the back up goal=keepers was given a chance when Uzoho was under-performing. And all several occasions Lookman came from the bench to play matches, all hell didn’t break loose, can’t even remember a single game Bashiru played under both coaches. So why now lead a mutiny against Finidi? Why didn’t he do that during Peserio and Rorh. Kelechi Ihenancho that many believed should have started at afcon didn’t start a mutiny against peserio.
It’s just a shame how many are ready to drag Finidi down, over not playing certain players. Who knows if that’s why peserio left. This is just plain ridiculous.
Simply put;NFF! GET a Quality Foreign Coach for the Eagles.
lol sentiment and tribalism will destroy this country, imagine someone saying Lookmsn is a regular player, I laugh. The clueless ogogoro coach just like Bosso, has a regional policy mindset. I really don’t blame them. Top five Nigeria players as of today. Lookman, Bonuface, Osi, Aina, Tella. Finidi, oliseh and Amuneke are all the same all talks with no brains.