Super Eagles midfielder, Raphael Onyedika, had a night to forget in Club Brugge’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to Fiorentina in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League semifinal clash.
The 23-year-old, a mainstay for Club Brugge this season, was shown a red card for two yellow offenses within three minutes.
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In the 58th minute, he received a yellow for an elbow on Italian forward Andrea Belotti. Shortly after, in the 61st minute, a reckless challenge on Argentine striker Lucas Beltran earned him a second yellow and a sending-off. This means Raphael Onyedika will miss the crucial second leg next week at Jan Breydel Stadium.
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Despite Onyedika’s dismissal, the game remained close. Hans Vanaken and Igor Thiago for Club Brugge matched Goals from Riccardo Sottil and Andrea Belotti for Fiorentina. The score was level at 2-2 until the 91st minute, when substitute M’bala Nzola, who came on just three minutes earlier, grabbed the winner for Fiorentina.
The red card and the stoppage-time defeat leave Club Brugge with a mountain to climb in the return leg. They’ll not only need to overcome a one-goal deficit but also do so without their key midfielder, Raphael Onyedika.
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