Nigeria internationals Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella made their marks as Bayer Leverkusen secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Union Berlin in a thrilling Bundesliga encounter at Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Saturday.

While Boniface started from the bench, Tella played from the start and was pivotal in Leverkusen’s triumph.

Kevin Vogt (l) fights for the ball against Victor Boniface. (Photo by Andreas Gora/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Tella’s dynamic performance saw him win the penalty that ultimately led to Leverkusen’s narrow win.

Leverkusen got their breakthrough in first-half stoppage time when Robin Gosens fell the Nigerian inside the box, paving the way for Florian Writz to score.

This victory marks Xabi Alonso’s side’s ninth successive win, extending their lead over Bayern Munich to an impressive 16 points with just six games remaining in the season.

Leverkusen can now, firmly, set their sights on potentially clinching the German championship title as they prepare to face Werder Bremen at home in the upcoming fixture.