Chukwueze Contributes Assist, Onyedika Sent off as AC Milan End Winless Streak

Femi Solaja

Samuel Chukwueze came off the bench to contribute an assist as AC Milan defeated Belgian side Club Brugge 3-1 in their UEFA Champions League campaign last night.

Chukwueze’s Super Eagles teammate on the Belgian team, Raphael Onyedika was however not that lucky as his high boot challenge on Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders fetched him a straight red card after an intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR) in the 40th minute.

Milan started the game on a sluggish not, with Brugge the first to impress early on and only a fine save from Mike Maignan prevented Christos Tzolis from curling them ahead.

Milan – needing a win after opening defeats to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, however opened the scoring when former Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic’s inswinging corner went straight in.

The visitors still managed to equalise with a fine goal, when substitute Kyriani Sabbe was the spare man at the end of a flowing move and drove into the far corner. In doing so, the 19-year-old became just the fourth teenager to score against Milan in the Champions League.

Milan boss Paulo Fonseca’s decision to withdraw the lively Rafael Leao was jeered by home fans, but within seconds of the change, his replacement Noah Okafor made a goal.

Okafor skipped down the left and cut the ball back for Reijnders to finish with a side-footed strike.

Reijnders repeated the process for Milan’s third goal when he converted a cross from another substitute, Chukwueze, to seal the win.

There was time for Francesco Camarda to come on and become the youngest Italian player to appear in the Champions League at the age of 16 years and 226 days.

Elsewhere, Monaco midfielder Takumi Minamino scored twice as his side continued their bright start to this season’s Champions League league phase with a big 5-1 victory over winless Red Star Belgrade.

Ex-Liverpool player Minamino beat the offside trap to put his side ahead after 20 minutes.

Red Star’s Cherif Ndiaye levelled things from the spot seven minutes later, after he was fouled by Thilo Kehrer.

Breel Embolo restored Monaco’s lead deep into first-half stoppage time, then defender Wilfried Singo made it 3-1 with a brilliant strike into the top corner from 30 yards.

RESULTS (UCL)

Milan 3-1 Brugge

Monaco 5-1 Zvezda

Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar

Aston Villa 2-0 Bologna

Girona 2-0 Bratislava

Juventus 0-1 Stuttgart

PSG 1-1 PSV Eindhoven

Madrid 5-2 Dortmund

Graz 0-2 Sporting CP

Wednesday

Barca v Bayern