Nigerian defender Franklin Uchenna delivered one of the standout performances of the Europa League night, scoring the winning goal as Red Star Belgrade defeated Lille OSC 1-0 in their knockout phase play-off first leg on Thursday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The centre-back struck just before half-time, giving the Serbian champions a valuable advantage ahead of next week’s return leg in Belgrade.
Lille struggled badly in front of their home fans, producing only one shot on target throughout the match. Red Star looked sharper and more organised, creating several chances to increase their lead but failing to finish clinically.
Beyond his goal, Uchenna was outstanding defensively. He won the highest number of duels in the match, made crucial clearances and interceptions, and helped his side keep a clean sheet. The victory also extended Red Star’s impressive winning run to four matches across all competitions.
With the second leg approaching, Red Star know that even a draw at home will be enough to secure qualification for the Europa League round of 16.
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Europa League: Yusuf scores on mixed night for Nigerian stars
It was a more frustrating evening for Nigerian forward Bamidele Yusuf, whose goal could not prevent Ferencvárosi TC from suffering a 2-1 defeat away to Ludogorets Razgrad.
Yusuf equalised in the 27th minute after Ludogorets had taken an early lead, showing sharp positioning inside the box. However, the Bulgarian champions regained control in the second half and scored what proved to be the decisive goal.
The Nigerian striker was substituted late in the game, but his effort ended a four-match goal drought and took his season tally to 11 goals in all competitions.
Ferencváros must now overturn the deficit at home if they are to keep their European journey alive.
Elsewhere, Ola Aina played the full 90 minutes as Nottingham Forest secured an impressive 3-0 away victory over Fenerbahçe S.K., producing one of the most convincing wins of the round.
Super Eagles striker Salim Fargo Lawal led the line for Viktoria Plzeň in an entertaining 2-2 draw away at Panathinaikos F.C.
Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench for Celtic F.C. but could not prevent a heavy 4-1 defeat against VfB Stuttgart.
At K.R.C. Genk, Yira Sor and Noah Adedeji-Sternberg made late appearances from the bench as their side claimed an impressive 3-1 away victory over GNK Dinamo Zagreb.
