UEFA Champions League: 4-1
By Ed Emeanua
Nigeria international Raphael Onyedika, helped his Belgian side to a lavish 4-1 victory over Monaco at the Jan Breydelstadion in their 2025-2026 European Champions League run.
The Nigerian midfielder scored his side’s second goal of the tie in the 39′ jabbing in to the far right corner. Onyedika, Nicolo Tresoldi (32′), and Hans Vanaken (42′), all found the net for Blauw-Zwart (Blue-Black) in a first half blitzkrieg that all but blew the French side out of the water.
The win gave the Belgian side an excellent start to their current Champions League push. In a continental tie in which Bruge were dominant, the rampaging Belgians romped into a three goal lead all scored inside 10 minutes.
Mamadou Diakhon then notched a fourth with a crushing delivery just for Barcelona prodigy Ansu Fati slammed home (90′ + 1′) to reduce the tally, on his loan debut for Monaco.
The encounter recorded a rash of disorderly initial moments. Monaco goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, was involved in a confusion plagued first 17 minutes of the action. The former Liverpool safe-hands conceded a penalty only to save it.
Mignolet also received a yellow card for aggressive behavior towards the referee, before being substituted following a groin trauma. But goalkeeper Philipp Kohn, was subjected to a barrage of 17 shots as Club Brugge sought to score more goals against Monaco.
Following a spate of fantastic goalkeeping, Kohn finally succumbed to a Tresoldi thrust in goal, only for an unguarded Onyedika to jab home Club Brugge’s second. Vanaken’s stunning shot then left Kohn marooned to a spot, as the Belgian midfieder slammed home the third into the top right corner before the break.
Goalkeeper Nordin Jackers, and the Bruge defence line was deftly bridged as French teenage sensation, Diakhon blasted home Club Brugge’s fourth.
Nicky Hayen’s Club Bruge, last season’s last 16 Champions League finalist, next clashes with Atalanta on 30 September, just as Adi_Hütter’s Monaco entertain Manchester City in the next round.
