CLUB BRUGGE boss Ivan Leko was left to count the cost of a Champions League classic after losing midfield dynamo Raphael Onyedika to suspension for the crunch second leg against Atletico Madrid.
The Belgian side produced a stirring fightback from two goals down to snatch a breathtaking 3-3 draw with Diego Simeone’s Spanish battlers at the Jan Breydelstadion on Wednesday night. But the celebrations was tempered by the news that Super Eagles star Onyedika, the heartbeat of the comeback, will be watching the return fixture from the stands.
The 24 year old Nigerian colossus was the driving force behind Brugge’s rescue act. He got his name on the scoresheet with a crucial first goal to ignite the fightback, before turning provider deep into stoppage time to set up Christos Tzolis for the dramatic leveller.
But his booking in the 76th minute has ruled him out of the trip to the Metropolitano Stadium next Tuesday. And Leko, speaking after the final whistle, didn’t hide his frustration at losing his main man for the biggest game of the season.
“We don’t have another Rapha, so we’ll have to find another solution,” the boss admitted to the club’s official website. The admission feels like a hammer blow for Brugge’s hopes of knocking out the La Liga heavyweights.
Onyedika has been immense in Europe this term, breaking up play and driving his side forward. To be without him in the white hot atmosphere of the Spanish capital is a massive setback.
Now Leko has a week to cook up a Plan B. Can they cope without their midfield marshal, or will Atletico make their home advantage count? One things for sure, they’ll need a performance of similar grit to stand any chance of causing a major upset and booking their spot in the next round.
