Raphael Onyedika shines as Club Brugge hold Barcelona in six-goal thriller

By Dayo Awoniyi

Raphael Onyedika produced a commanding midfield performance as Club Brugge battled to a dramatic 3–3 draw with Barcelona in a pulsating UEFA Champions League encounter at the Jan Breydel Stadium.

Heading into the Matchday 4 clash, few expected the Belgian side to challenge the Spanish champions. Brugge had just suffered a 4–0 defeat to Bayern Munich, while Barcelona arrived in Belgium buoyed by a 6–0 demolition of Olympiakos. But under the floodlights in Bruges, the hosts delivered a spirited performance that defied all odds.

Anchoring the midfield was Raphael Onyedika, the 16-time capped Nigerian international, who combined tenacity, composure, and tactical discipline to disrupt Barcelona’s rhythm.

The former FC Ebedei and Midtjylland star excelled in his holding role — breaking up play, winning duels, and dictating tempo as Brugge matched their illustrious visitors stride for stride.

Brugge stunned the visitors early when Nicolo Tresoldi latched onto a clever through ball to open the scoring in the sixth minute, sending the home crowd into raptures. What followed was a thrilling end-to-end contest filled with attacking verve and moments of brilliance from both sides.

Onyedika’s impact was evident throughout his 83 minutes on the pitch. His crisp passing, intelligent positioning, and relentless pressing were key to Brugge’s sustained pressure. Even after picking up a yellow card for a challenge on Lamine Yamal, the Nigerian maintained his composure, helping his side transition quickly into attack and retain control in midfield battles.

When the final whistle blew, both sides settled for a share of the spoils — a result that felt like a victory for the underdogs.

While Barcelona escaped with a point, the night undoubtedly belonged to Club Brugge’s fearless display and Onyedika’s standout performance, a showing that underlined his growing reputation as one of Nigeria’s most complete midfielders on the European stage.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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