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Nigerian players left their mark last night in the UEFA Champions League , with Ademola Lookman and Emmanuel Ayaosi providing assists that earned their clubs valuable away points.
Christian Nwachukwu and Zaidu Sanusi also featured, although their sides finished on the losing end.
Lookman needed barely a minute to change Atlético Madrid’s game against VfB Stuttgart. Introduced by Diego Simeone at half-time, the Super Eagles winger supplied the pass from which Julián Álvarez equalised in the 47th minute. Jamie Leweling had put Stuttgart ahead in the 36th , but Atlético held on for a 1-1 draw despite Morten Hjulmand’s dismissal in the 64th minute. The result left the Spanish side with four points from three league-phase matches.
Ayaosi produced another decisive Nigerian contribution in Istanbul. Fenerbahçe raced into a two-goal lead through Oğuz Aydın in the fourth minute and Mason Greenwood in the 11th. Lukáš Provod replied for Slavia Prague four minutes later, before Ayaosi’s late pass set up Pavel Kačor’s 90th -minute equaliser.
The 2-2 draw gave Slavia their first point after three matches. For the former Akwa United player, it was a memorable intervention on one of European football’s biggest stages.
In Azerbaijan, 20-year-old Christian Nwachukwu played the final nine minutes for Sabah FC in a 2-1 home defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Serhou Guirassy scored in the 10th and 53rd minutes for the visitors, either side of Aden McCarthy’s 39th -minute equaliser. Nwachukwu could not turn the result around, but his appearance added another Champions League outing to his developing career.
Sanusi started for FC Porto against PSV Eindhoven and was replaced in the 69th minute. Guus Til’s 57th -minute goal settled the contest 1-0 in the Dutch side’s favour, leaving Porto with three points from three matches.