Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin has lavished praise on Super Eagles midfielder Raphael Onyedika following his brilliant performance against the German side in their Champions League opener, The PUNCH reports.
Dortmund claimed a resounding 3-0 win at the Jan Breydel Stadium to silence the home supporters who cheered their team as they almost snatched a point in the encounter.
There was nothing to separate both sides in the first 45 minutes as the game was evenly poised, with Onyedika at the centre of everything positive for the Belgian side.
After a goalless first half, the game began to open up a little bit in the second, with Dortmund throwing everything in their arsenal at the hosts.While it looked like both teams were going to share the spoils, Jamie Gittens scored the opener for Dortmund in the 76th minute.Ten minutes later, the English player doubled the visitors’ lead with a precise strike from inside the penalty area. Serhou Guirassy wrapped up the scoring from the spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Despite Club Brugge’s home defeat in the first game of the UEFA Champions League this season, the Nigerian midfielder had a great game, registering 67 touches, two interceptions, and four tackles.
The 23-year-old Super Eagles midfielder had the second-highest number of touches in the game for Club Brugge, leaving Dortmund boss Sahin impressed with the midfielder.
“We knew that the club’s (Club Brugge) game was going through Raphael Onyedika, but we were unable to neutralise him,” Sahin said, per Ma Pro League.
Onyedika was close to leaving Brugge last summer, having agreed to a five-year deal with Turkish side Galatasaray, but the move fell through after the Belgian side were keen on a €20m transfer fee for the player.
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