Victor Olatunji was the star of the night as Sparta Prague defeated RB Salzburg 3-0 in their UEFA Champions League (UCL) group-stage encounter on Wednesday night.
The 25-year-old produced a stellar performance on his UCL debut to lead his Czech League champions to an improbable victory in the new-look UCL format.
Billed as one of ten Nigerian players expected to star in the competition, Olatunji volleyed in from an acute angle to double Sparta’s lead in the 42nd minute, netting his first-ever goal in the UCL group stage.
He celebrated the feat by revealing an inscription in his undershirt: “I am a Chosen. Who are you?”. The celebration was a nod to the part prayer, part comedic trend rocking the Nigerian social media space for the past few days.
Olatunji then assisted Qazim Laci in sealing the victory in the second half. Kaan Kairinen had put the hosts ahead on three minutes.
It is Sparta Prague’s first UCL group stage win in 21 years. Olatunji also made history as the first Nigerian international to score and assist on his UCL group stage debut.
The goal is also his third of this season’s competition, adding to the two he netted in the qualifying rounds.
In other matches, Inter Milan held Manchester City to a goalless draw, while Celtic were the highest winners of the night with a 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava. Raphael Onyedika played all 90 minutes but could not save Club Brugge from a 3-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund at home.
RESULTS
Bologna 0-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Sparta Prague 3-0 RB Salzburg
Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Club Brugge 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
Manchester City 0-0 Inter Milan
PSG 1-0 Girona