Two Super Eagles stars set to lock horns in Champions League play-off draw
Two Super Eagles stars are set to lock horns in the UEFA Champions League play-off draw next month, Soccernet.ng reports.
Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman will take on Club Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika as both sides look to reach the latter stages of Europe’s fiercest club Football trophy.
The 2024 UEFA Europa League winners finished just outside the top eight spots in the Champions League group phase, following their 2-2 draw against Barcelona on the final matchday.
Ademola Lookman missed the game due to an injury. In eight league games, Atalanta won four, drew three and lost one, which cost them the top 8 spot by just a point, as Aston Villa sealed a place in the round of sixteen.
Club Brugge on the other hand, were defeated by Manchester City, 3-1, after Raphael Onyedika had broken the deadlock against Pep Guardiola’s men at the Etihad Stadium. The Blue Backs sealed a play-off spot on goal difference, as they were 24th in the Champions League group phase.
Goalscorer Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge L and Erling Haaland of Manchester City R during the Manchester City FC v Club Brugge KV UEFA Champions League match at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, United Kingdom on 29 January 2025 Credit: [Photo Credit/ Imago].
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Sixteen sides were seeded in the UEFA Champions League play-off spot, and the winner of each tie will proceed to the round of sixteen to join the teams that finished in the top eight of the group phase. Full 2024/25 Champions League knockout play-off draw;
1. Club Brugge vs Atalanta
2. Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund
3. Man City vs Real Madrid
4. Celtic vs Bayern Munich
5. Juventus vs PSV
6. Feyenoord vs Milan
7. Brest vs PSG
8. Monaco vs Benfica
The knockout phase play-offs are set ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/9KWMSgQWoD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2025
Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge scores his team’s first goal to make it 1-0 during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 match between Manchester City and Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on January 29, 2025. [Photo Credit/ Imago].As per UEFA’s official website, the first legs of these maiden playoffs will be played on either Tuesday 11 February or Wednesday 12 February. The reverse fixtures will be held one week later on 18/19 February.
The same week that these fixtures are concluded, the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals will be drawn on Friday, 21 February.
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Atleti, Barcelona, Inter, Leverkusen, Lille, and Liverpool have already qualified for the round of sixteen automatically after sealing a top-eight finish.
Ademola Lookman and Raphael Onyedika of Nigeria during a training session in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, WM, Weltmeisterschaft, Fussball Qualifier match between Nigeria and South Africa at Goodswill Akpabio International Stadium on June 6, 2024 in Uyo, Nigeria. [Photo Credit/ Imago].It wouldn’t be the first time Onyedika has played against a Nigerian in the UEFA Champions League. Earlier this season, the 23-year-old midfielder was sent off at the San Siro when Club Brugge played against Samuel Chukwueze’s AC Milan.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria.
With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience.
He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
