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By Goli Innocent
Super Eagles duo Raphael Onyedika and Ademola Lookman were at the heart of a dramatic night in Europe as Club Brugge fought back to secure a pulsating 3-3 draw against Atletico Madrid in their UEFA Champions League play-off first leg.
Atletico looked in control early on. Julian Alvarez calmly converted a penalty after a handball decision, and the visitors doubled their advantage before the break when Lookman reacted quickest to finish from close range following Antoine Griezmann’s flick-on.
Trailing 2-0, Brugge returned from the interval with renewed intensity. Onyedika sparked the comeback in the 52nd minute, arriving smartly to tap home after Jan Oblak parried Nicolo Tresoldi’s effort, shifting the momentum in favour of the hosts.
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The equaliser soon followed. Tresoldi turned from provider to scorer, finishing confidently from Mamadou Diakhon’s cross to level the contest and ignite belief inside the Jan Breydel Stadium.
Atletico briefly regained the lead through an unfortunate own goal by Joel Ordonez, but the drama was far from over. Deep into stoppage time, Christos Tzolis found the net, and although initially ruled offside, VAR overturned the decision to seal a deserved draw for Brugge.
The result leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of the return leg in Spain. For Nigerian fans, however, it was a statement night with Onyedika’s composure and Lookman’s sharpness once again underlining their growing influence on Europe’s biggest stage.
