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Watch: Just like Thierry Henry – was this the cheekiest pass of the season?

Victor Boniface – Watch: Just like Thierry Henry – was this the cheekiest pass of the season?
Victor Boniface stole the show with his no-look pass against Feyenoord - Getty Images/Rene Nijhuis

It was the type of pass Thierry Henry made in his prime, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface was hailed for imitating the Frenchman in his side’s Champions League win at Feyenoord.

The German side were a goal ahead when the Nigerian striker picked up the ball on the edge of the area.

After breaking free from a couple of defenders there appeared to be little on, but then Boniface produced a touch of class, playing a no-look pass with his left foot as he pretended to shoot with his right. The pass went to Jeremie Frimpong, who crossed for Alejandro Grimaldo to score with a first-time effort.

Boniface’s skill was immediately compared to Arsenal legend Henry, who famously played the same pass in a game against Middlesbrough.

Leverkusen went on to win the game 4-0, with Boniface’s pass a major talking point after the game.

“If he did that in training people would be going mad, but to do that in a game - that’s brilliant,” Owen Hargreaves said on TNT Sports. “Some people think he didn’t really mean that, but we will show another angle [that shows he did]. It’s a touch of class - really, really cool.”

Fellow pundit Steve McManaman agreed with Hargreaves, adding: “Whenever you can get classed alongside Thierry Henry you are doing the right thing.”

The game also underlined Leverkusen’s status as dark horses in this season’s competition. Xabi Alonso’s team were unbeaten in the Bundesliga last season, also winning the German Cup and only losing one match all season - against Atalanta in the Europa League final.

They were utterly dominant in the Netherlands, with Florian Wirtz scoring a brilliant double either side of Grimaldo’s effort to demonstrate why the German is one of the best young players in Europe. An own-goal by Timon Wellenreuther made it 4-0 before half-time, with the score remaining unchanged in the second half.