Club Brugge and Nigeria midfielder Raphael Onyedika was not brought to the Belgian club for his goal scoring abilities but the 23-year-old showed he is more than capable of chipping in when given an opportunity on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League.
Onyedika opened the scoring with a firm finish against English giants Manchester City, putting the visitors into a shock first half lead against the reigning English Premier League champions. Brugge striker Ferran Jutgla made an enterprising run down the left flank before his cross found the late run of Onyedika who fired past Ederson in the Man City goal.
Unfortunately, it was not enough as City responded with three second half goals for a 3-1 victory. While his team did not experience success on Wednesday, Onyedika continues to thrive in Belgian football and is seeing an increase in opportunities for the Nigeria national team. He will also compete in the knockout stages of the Champions League after results elsewhere went the way of Brugge who just snuck into the Round of 32.
It was a different story in Leverkusen where Nigeria national team winger Nathan Tella contributed a goal and also saw his team get the full three points in a 2-0 result over Sparta Prague. The 25-year-old attacker arrived to finish from a rebound after a free kick shot attempt from Alex Grimaldo was spilled by Sparta keeper Peter Vindahl.
It was Tella's third goal in all competitions this season and his first in the Champions League. An important result for Leverkusen pushed the Bundesliga club into a top-8 position, giving them a pass through the Round of 32 into the Round of 16.
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