How can Bayer Leverkusen survive without Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick?
Xabi Alonso has already dealt with the loss of one prolific centre-forward following Victor Boniface’s thigh injury, and Patrik Schick’s recent setback gives the Bayer Leverkusen head coach another offensive dilemma. So, what options for the Spaniard have left to fill the void up front?
1) The false 9: Florian Wirtz
Even with Schick fit and available for Leverkusen’s DFB Cup round of 16 clash with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, Alonso opted for Wirtz in the false nine role instead. A quiet first half from an attacking point of view but the desire to add more threat following Manuel Neuer's red card brought with it the Czechia international’s introduction, but a calf issue before the hour mark forced him off once more. During his post-match media duties, Alonso admitted “it doesn’t look good”, and his comments in the pre-match press conference indicated that there is no guarantee Boniface will be back before the winter break.
His immediate response in Munich was to bring on Nathan Tella in place of the stricken 28-year-old, yet both he and Wirtz spent periods as the furthest man forward without ever leading the line. Against an in-form Bayern outfit - albeit one down to 10 men - away from home, such a set-up in conjunction with a counter-attacking strategy made that flexibility a weapon. Against lesser opposition, however, positional roles may well need to be more defined.
Wirtz has previously played as a false nine, and a continued spell as Die Werkself’s de facto focal point would allow him to show off several of his qualities. With nine goals in all competitions already this term on the back of a career-best 18 last season, the Germany international clearly knows where the back of the net is, while he would still be able to put his obvious playmaking talents to good use. However, his slight stature compared to Boniface and Schick means Leverkusen would need to modify their method of supply.
Watch: The best of Florian Wirtz
2) The utility man: Nathan Tella
Tella was the hero against Bayern as his goal sent his team through to the quarter-finals. His strike was one that both Boniface and Schick would have been proud of, with Tella even saying afterwards that he's been learning from the pair, placing himself perfectly between Minjae Kim and Alphonso Davies to power home Alejandro Grimaldo’s cross with a bullet header – a feat made even more noteworthy by the fact that he is just 5’6”.
Since his arrival at the BayArena from Southampton, Tella has found it difficult to force his way into and stay in the starting XI, in part down to the sublime form of those ahead of him in the pecking order. After all, Leverkusen were almost imperious throughout 2023/24, losing just one match in all competitions – there was hardly a need for Alonso to try something different. When he has been called upon, though, the 25-year-old has slotted in across the pitch, featuring both at right and left wing-back, on each flank and even as a second striker.
Seven goals in 55 appearances is hardly prolific, but a spell on loan at Burnley suggests he can shoulder the goalscoring burden. Deployed by none other than current Bayern boss Vincent Kompany on the wing, Tella was a revelation, striking 17 times in 39 outings as the Clarets finished top of the English Championship. His skill set is more suited to the touchline rather than the six-yard box, but he has what it takes to fill the void in the short term.
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3) The youngster: Artem Stepanov
Should Alonso decide a natural striker is needed, 17-year-old Ukrainian Stepanov is primed to burst onto the scene. On the bench against Bayern, the teenager made his debut for the club in the 5-0 UEFA Champions League hammering of Red Bull Salzburg in November, a reward for his performances at youth level. Stepanov has been lethal for the club’s U19s this term, netting 10 times in 11 Bundesliga matches as well as once in four UEFA Youth League fixtures.
That comes off the back of 27 efforts in 47 matches for the U17s and eight goals in 12 Ukraine youth caps. In contrast to both Wirtz and Tella, Stepanov possesses the physical qualities you would expect of a centre-forward, standing at 6’2”. Of course, he lacks experience, and whether he would be able to slot seamlessly into Alonso’s set-up is up in the air, yet he may well be the logical solution to the current problem.
4) The outside bet: Martin Terrier
It would be fair to say that Terrier’s so far brief Leverkusen career has struggled to really get going. His red card within 40 minutes of his debut in the Supercup win over VfB Stuttgart has somewhat set the tone for the campaign, with him managing just one goal in 13 appearances alongside a couple of injuries that have stunted his integration. At his best, though, the former France U21 international is a game-changer, and Leverkusen’s predicament could offer him the opportunity to establish himself.
Terrier’s best season on an individual level came at former club Rennes in 2021/22, when he netted 21 times in 37 Ligue 1 matches. While the majority of those efforts were from the left flank, just under a third came while playing as the Breton outfit’s centre-forward. Throughout that term, he played alongside current Borussia Dortmund star Serhou Guirassy, a strike partner who knows a thing or two about scoring goals. Although Terrier is not the favourite to step into the breach, he is someone Alonso can turn to now he's overcome a broken arm as an alternative should other avenues not work out.
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