Back
20.12.2023Bundesliga

Schick hat-trick as Bayer 04 finish year with 4-0 win over Bochum

Bayer 04 ended 2023 with yet another win in the Bundesliga, with Patrick Schick scoring a first-half hat-trick and Victor Boniface adding a fourth after the break in 4-0 victory at home to Bochum. The Werkself are now unbeaten 25 games into 2023/24, setting a new record for a German club and taking a four-point lead into the winter break.
crop_20231220_JS1_1166.jpg

Head coach Xabi Alonso made four changes to his team that started Sunday’s 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. Josip Stanisic and Piero Hincapie replaced Odilon Kossounou and Edmond Tapsoba in defence. Robert Andrich was in for the suspended Exequiel Palacios in midfield, while Schick made his first Bundesliga start in some 14 months as he got the nod over Boniface, who dropped to the bench. In a once again sold-out BayArena, Jeremie Frimpong led the first attack of note in the seventh minute, but his low delivery was gathered by goalkeeper Manuel Riemann. The visitors then had a couple of opportunities of their own through Takuma Asano and Christopher Antwi-Adjei.

Schick bags a hat-trick

The Werkself then struggled to play in their usual dominant manner for a period as Bochum pressed hard. However, Leverkusen finally found a gap in the visitors’ rearguard just before the half-hour mark as Schick was played in behind, knocked the ball beyond Riemann before being taken down. Referee Daniel Schlager pointed to the spot, with Schick himself dispatching the penalty for the lead. The next attack moments later also came off as Jonas Hofmann and Frimpong worked their way down the right. The Dutchman passed the ball into the middle and into the path of Schick, whose first-time finish doubled the advantage with 31 minutes gone. Alonso’s men seemed to find their groove now, with Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo both having further chances. Yet it was Schick who struck again in added time, heading in a Grimaldo corner under pressure to bag his hat-trick inside the first half.

Jubel Frimpong und Schick

Boniface straight off the bench

With the Werkself three goals to the good coming out after the break, things were initially quiet until the 62nd minute when Grimaldo played the ball back from the by-line for Andrich to turn in. However, a VAR review ruled out the goal due to offside in the build-up. A fourth did come soon after, though, as Florian Wirtz’s vision found Boniface, who had only been on the field for a couple of minutes, to put away his 10th goal of the season with 69 minutes gone. Leverkusen didn’t look done there as Tapsoba and Frimpong looked to add another, but Riemann denied both. The damage was already done, however, as Bayer 04 extended their unbeaten start to 2023/24 to a German record 25 games and go into the winter break with a four-point advantage over Bayern Munich.

Boniface nach Tor

And straight after the game, the team joined the fans inside the BayArena for some Christmas singing to round off an eventful year in Leverkusen.

First friendly of 2024 against Venezia

The Werkself are now off on their well-deserved holidays before returning to training on Wednesday, 3 January. The first match of the year is then the following Sunday with a friendly against Italian Serie B side Venezia at the BayArena. Tickets are available for the game HERE.

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Hradecky – Stanisic, Tah (Tapsoba 67'), Hincapie (Puerta 73') – Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo – Hofmann (Hlozek 73'), Schick (Boniface 67'), Wirtz (Amiri 87')

Bochum: Riemann – Gamboa, Masovic (Loosli 69'), Schlotterbeck, Bernardo – Losilla (Oermann 87'), Osterhage, Bero Asano (Soares 46'), Paciencia (Förster 63'), Antwi-Adjei (Broschinski 63')

Goals: 1-0 Schick (pen, 30'), 2-0 Schick (31'), 3-0 Schick (45'+1), 4-0 Boniface (69')

Referee: Daniel Schlager (Hügelsheim)

Yellow cards: Masovic, Schlotterbeck

Attendance: 30,210 (sold out) at the BayArena

Related News

Julie Jorde
Women - 28.06.2025

Julie Jorde makes permanent move to Brøndby IF

The Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.

Show more
Bundesliga-Spielplan
Bundesliga - 27.06.2025

Bundesliga fixtures 2025/26: Werkself host Hoffenheim in opener

The German Football League (DFL) has published the fixture list for the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign. Bayer 04 start the new season with a home game against TSG Hoffenheim. The first away game for the Werkself is at Werder Bremen. The final Bundesliga fixture is on 16 May 2026 against newly promoted Hamburg SV with a 15:30 CEST kick-off at the BayArena.

Show more
Paulina Bartz
Women - 27.06.2025

Bayer 04 agree new deal with Paulina Bartz

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have given offensive player Paulina Bartz a long-term contract. The 20-year-old has penned a new deal to 30 June 2027.

Show more
Bayer 04
Bayer 04 - 26.06.2025

Wirtz voted Bayer 04 ‘Player of the Season’ for 2024/25

Germany international Florian Wirtz has been voted Bayer 04 ‘Player of the Season’ for the second time in a row. The 21-year-old, who will play for Premier League champions Liverpool next season, received more than half of all votes cast in the annual poll organised by Bayer 04.

Show more
Player of the Season
Women - 26.06.2025

Cornelia Kramer voted Bayer 04 Women's 'Player of the Season’ for 2024/25

Top scorer Cornelia Kramer has been voted Bayer 04 Women's 'Player of the Season’ after her first year in Black and Red. The Denmark international follows in the footsteps of former captain Elisa Senß, who won the fan poll in both 2022/23 and 2023/24. With more than 1,400 votes cast, Kramer just edged teammate Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir into second place.

Show more