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Ernest Victor
Guest
The UEFA Champions League match at San Siro on Tuesday turned out to be a bittersweet affair for the Super Eagles duo of Samuel Chukwueze and Raphael Onyedika, who represented AC Milan and Club Brugge, respectively.
Raphael Onyedika was entrusted with a starting position by Brugge’s manager, Nicky Hayen. However, the midfielder’s performance took a disastrous turn when he received a straight red card just 40 minutes into the first half, courtesy of German referee Felix Zwayer. In a pursuit to secure possession, Onyedika committed a reckless challenge on Tijjani Reijnders, resulting in both players sustaining injuries.
The scenario compelled Zwayer to consult the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for a thorough review of the incident. After assessing the replay, he deemed Onyedika’s challenge dangerous enough to warrant an early exit from the match, leaving Brugge to navigate the remaining 50 minutes with just ten players.
This red card proved to be a significant setback for the Belgian side, who were already trailing by one goal. Despite being a man down, Brugge managed to rally and equalize just six minutes into the second half. However, their efforts were soon undermined as they fell victim to two swift goals from AC Milan, one of which was expertly assisted by Chukwueze in the 71st minute.
Chukwueze, having started the match on the bench, was introduced in the 60th minute, replacing the Portuguese winger Rafael Leão. Almost immediately after stepping onto the pitch, Chukwueze had a substantial impact on the game.
Within moments, Milan restored their lead after Noah Okafor set up Reijnders for a goal. Just ten minutes later, Chukwueze featured as the architect of Milan’s third goal, providing another assist to Reijnders, solidifying their victory.
This win marked AC Milan’s first triumph in the new Champions League group phase format, especially after suffering losses in their initial matches against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen.
For Onyedika, the match was particularly disappointing as it marked his second red card in the ongoing 2024-2025 season; his first red card came during Brugge’s 1-1 draw against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, raising concerns about discipline as he continues to play a vital role for his team in the Champions League.
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