Nwakali shines as Huesca dispatch Eibar

The opening match of La Liga Smartbank between two sides hoping to gain promotion back to the top-flight was an entertaining encounter

Huesca welcomed Eibar in a match that seemed like an anomaly. Both teams played in the Laliga Santander last season but suffered relegation.

Nigerian star Kelechi Nwakali starred for Huesca after a loan spell at AD Alcorcón in the second half of last campaign. The midfielder started from the right side of midfield and put up an impressive show.

Joaquin Munoz scored the first goal of the season in the 21st minute when he latched on to a pass Jorge Pulido to put the Huesca in front.

Nwakali ran the show from the midfield as his side kept 63 per cent of the ball possession in the first half. The game was clean until Daniel Escriche picked up a yellow card in the stoppage time of the first half.

In a bid to restore parity, Eibar came up with more pressure in the second half, but Huesca held their own.

After 65 minutes of action, Huesca coach Ignacio Ambriz decided that he had seen enough of Nwakali and decided to switch to ultra-defensive football, with Florian Miguel replacing him.

Nwakali’s replacement Florian Miguel returned the favour three minutes after coming on as he supplied the assist for Seoane Jamie’s 68th-minute goal that put the game to rest.

All efforts from Eibar to score amounted to nought, and Huesca grabbed their first points of the season.