Club Brugge defeated Monaco 4-1 to open their UEFA Champions League campaign in style.
Super Eagles star Raphael Onyedika opened his account for the season with a beautiful strike. Nicolò Tresoldi, Hans Vanaken, and Mamadou Diakhon were also on the scoresheet.
Onyedika delivered a standout performance beyond his goal.
The Nigerian midfielder completed 45 accurate passes, including five into the final third, and created one clear chance.
Defensively, he contributed significantly with two crucial blocks that prevented potential goals and made two key interceptions.
Despite his strong showing, Onyedika was substituted in the 81st minute and appeared visibly frustrated as he left the pitch. Head coach Nicky Hayen later clarified the situation:
“Onyedika had indicated he was feeling some discomfort. We only had one substitution left due to Simon’s injury, and we had to manage it carefully.
“There was a bit of miscommunication about it. I want to be quick about it because we’re not just eleven, but 20 or 25 players.”
Also read: Frankfurt Expresses Raphael Onyedika Interest
Hayen also praised his team’s dominant first-half performance, commending the players for preventing Monaco from settling into their rhythm:
“How many points would I give my team today? For the first half, 10 out of 10. I read somewhere that we won against a weak Monaco, but it’s to our credit that from minute one we didn’t let them get into their game.
“We played well between the lines and especially exploited the space behind their defense, which resulted in a lot of chances.
“The only downside might be that the score should have been much higher, but of course, we are very happy with this result. We know that goal difference can also be important, so in that respect, this is an excellent start.
“It was night and day compared to Saturday. The energy and passion of our captain were an example for everyone leading by example.
“The way he played was of the highest class. But of course, we hope for that every game, and not just today. And that applies not only to Hans but to the whole team.
“Deep down, I still feel bitter because we let it slip away on Saturday. Hopefully, that match against La Louvière was a wake-up call.
“We just need to be more consistent. Against Rangers and last year against Atalanta, we also delivered great performances, but then dropped points in the league. We have to keep working on reaching that high level match after match.”
Club Brugge will return to league action against Sint-Truidense V.V. in the Belgian Pro League.
After a mixed start to the season three wins, one draw, and two losses from six matches the upcoming fixture is seen as a must-win for Hayen’s men.
