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Five Super Eagles players were in action for their European clubs in the UEFA Champions League opening group games on Tuesday night.
They are Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan), Peter Olayinka (FK Crvena Zvezda Beograd), Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi and Chidera Ejuike (Royal Antwerp), and Zeidu Sanusi (FC Porto), the only one that ended up on the winning side on the night.
Samuel Chukwueze (Milan, 0-0 Newcastle)
Samuel Chukwueze made his first start in five games for AC Milan following his €20 million summer arrival at the club from Villarreal.
The 24-year-old played until the 61st minute, when he was replaced by Christian Pulistic, as they battled Newcastle to a goalless draw in Group F at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milano.
The Nigerian forward has taken part in every one of the team’s four Serie A games and played 88 minutes, with each one of these appearances as a substitute.
Peter Olayinka (Man City 3-1 Crvena Zvezda Beograd)
The Nigerian striker started on the bench and came on as a 68th-minute replacement for Mirko Ivanić as Crvena Zvezda Beograd lost 3-1 to Manchester City in a Group F tie at Etihad Stadium.
The Premier League champions came from behind to secure the home win after Ghana’s Osman Bukari fired the visitors in front at halftime. Julio Alvarez weighed in with a brace, finding the net on 47 and 60 minutes before Rodri rounded up the scoring on 73 minutes.
Olayinka has played in the majority of the club’s Czech Liga matches this season following his summer free transfer from Slavia, making 24 appearances overall and accumulating 1,646 minutes of playing time. He has been selected in the starting XI in 17 of these appearances across their 34 fixtures and has come on as a substitute on seven occasions.
Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi and Chidera Ejuike (Royal Antwerp)
Abdullahi and Ejuike were involved in the Group H tie between FC Barcelona and Royal Antwerp at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, which ended 5-0 in favour of the Catalans.
Expectedly, Abdullahi started for the Belgian First Division A side and played until the 61st minute, when he was replaced by Jurgen.Ekkelenkamp, while Ejuike, who has not enjoyed as much playing time since joining them from CSKA Moscow in the summer, was an unused substitute.
João Félix scored a brace, opening the scoring on 11 minutes before completing his brace 66 minutes after Robert Lewandowski made it 2–0 on 19 minutes, followed by Bataille’s 22nd-minute own goal and Gavi making it 4-0 for Xavi’s team in 54 minutes.
Yusuf has played in five First Division A matches overall and played 236 minutes for Antwerp, making the starting XI in two of these appearances across their six fixtures.
Zeidu Sanusi (Shakhtar Donetsk 1–3 FC Porto)
Zeidu Sanusi started for FC Porto and played till halftime, when he was replaced by Brazil’s Wendell as the Portuguese giants defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 in a Group H fixture at Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany.
All four goals came in the first 29 minutes. Galeno scored a brace, first giving the visitors the lead after eight minutes before he completed his brace on 15 minutes, two minutes after Kevin Kelsy drew the Ukrainians level, while Mehdi Taremi made it 3-2 on 29 minutes.
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