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Raphael Onyedika stood out in Club Brugge's intense clash with PAOK Thessaloniki, helping secure a crucial 1-0 victory in the Conference League.
Super Eagles midfielder Raphael Onyedika followed up his heroic Belgium Pro League performance for Club Brugge, in which he scored a brace in the 3-1 victory over Anderlecht, with a remarkable performance in Europe.
The 21-year-old defensive midfielder was the pick of the bunch as his Club Brugge picked up a first-leg advantage in the Conference League against William Troost-Ekong’s PAOK Thessaloniki.
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21:28 - 07.04.2024
'Next Ndidi' Onyedika the unlikely hero, as he scores brace to help Club Brugge beat Anderlecht
Raphael Onyedika's brilliant brace propelled Club Brugge to victory against Anderlecht in a thrilling Belgian championship playoff match. Despite missing key players, Club Brugge's resilience and tactical acumen secured a crucial win, lifting them to third place in the standings.
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12:07 - 25.03.2024
Alhassan or Onyedika: Who should replace Onyeka in Finidi's Super Eagles team against Mali?
Franke Onyeka's absence leaves a midfield void for the Super Eagles, with Finidi George set to look at Raphael Onyedika or Alhassan Yusuf as the likely replacement
What happened
In a charged atmosphere at the Jan Breydel Stadion, Brugge wasted no time asserting their dominance against PAOK, with Hugo Vetlesen finding the net just six minutes into the match. Vetlesen's goal, facilitated by a setup from Ferran Jutglà, showcased Brugge's cohesive play, setting the stage for an intense encounter.
Brugge narrowly missed extending their advantage before the 15-minute mark, with Maxim De Cuyper's effort narrowly missing the target. Meanwhile, Mbwana Samatta posed a few threats for PAOK, including a header that failed to find the back of the net.
However, PAOK struggled to capitalise on opportunities, with Thiago emerging as Brugge's most significant scoring threat in the first half.
As the second half commenced, both teams adopted a more aggressive approach. Brugge pushed forward in search of a second goal, but attempts from Michal Skoras and Jutglà fell short. Jutglà, in particular, squandered a prime opportunity inside the six-yard box.
PAOK showed signs of resurgence in the final 25 minutes but struggled to penetrate Brugge's resilient defence. Despite a late free kick from Andrija Živković and spirited runs from Samatta, PAOK failed to equalise.
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Onyedika won a penalty late in the game to hand Brugge a chance to boost their advantage, but Igor Thiago missed from the spot in the 78th minute, compounding Brugge's frustrations, but they managed to secure a narrow 1-0 victory.
Onyedika’s exceptional performance
The former Midtjylland midfielder ranked above all in the Fotmob ratings after the match, evidence of his immense showing during the clash.
He completed 100% of his tackles, made seven recoveries, and had seven defensive interventions. Offensively, he completed five long balls and had one shot on target, all of which contributed to his game-high 7.9 Fotmob rating.
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