EUROPA LEAGUE: Boniface scores again as Union Saint-Gilloise hold Leverkusen to 1-1 draw

Victor Boniface was once again on the scoresheet as Union Saint-Gilloise held Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

The Nigerian striker, who had already scored six goals in the competition, calmly slotted home from the left-hand side of the penalty area six minutes into the second half.

Leverkusen struggled to break down the resolute Union SG side, who had already knocked out Bundesliga side Union Berlin in the previous round.

The hosts’ closest chance came from an unfortunate own goal by Jonathan Tah, who diverted the ball against his own crossbar with his elbow from a Union SG corner.

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It wasn’t until the 82nd minute that Leverkusen finally found a way through, thanks to a fine finish from Florian Wirtz from outside the area. The goal proved to be potentially vital for Leverkusen, who will have to improve their performance in the second leg if they hope to progress to the next round.

On the other hand, Union SG will be buoyed by their impressive performance and will look to build on it in the return fixture.

The Belgian side, who were playing in the second tier just two years ago, have been enjoying their first European campaign since 1964-65 and have already made a name for themselves by knocking out two Bundesliga sides. The second leg promises to be an exciting clash as both teams battle it out for a place in the semi-finals.