Super Eagles forward Nathan Tella has stated that he had developed a good relationship with Spanish defender Alejandro Grimaldo because he has assisted most of his goals at Bayer Leverkusen, Soccernet.ng reports.
Tella joined Bayer Leverkusen from Burnley last summer in a deal worth €23.3 million, and he has proved to be an important player so far. The Nigerian forward has registered five goals and one assist in 16 appearances for Die Werkself.
Despite a slow start to the season, Tella has now become a first-team player, helping them push for the Bundesliga title.
The 24-year-old forward scored his fifth goal of the season in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-0 win over Wolfsburg last weekend. Tella reacted quickest to a cross from Grimaldo and sent a header into the net to give Die Werkself the lead. Immediately after he scored, he ran over to Grimaldo, who was on the left side of Bayer Leverkusen’s attack, to celebrate.
Following the victory, Tella has shed light on his relationship with Grimaldo, stating that their chemistry on the pitch has made them close.
“Out of my five goals in the league, Grimaldo has assisted four, so I always go to celebrate with him because I’m so happy to play with him,” Tella said.
“He gets me a lot of goals and opportunities, and it’s nice to play with him. Before the game (against Wolfsburg), we spoke and that if I scored, I’d go to him. It was nice to celebrate with him. But more importantly, it was good to get the win for the team.”
Bayer Leverkusen currently sit at the summit of the Bundesliga table, ten points above second-place Bayern Munich.
Xabi Alonso’s men will be looking to end the season on a high and end Bayern Munich’s long reign in Germany.
