It was indeed a tough outing for Raphael Onyedika and his team Club Brugge as their hopes of progressing in the UEFA Champions League took a major hit on Wednesday night as they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the round of 16 first-leg clash.

Raphael Onyedika returned from injury just in time for the crucial match at Jan Breydelstadion, but the Belgian champions struggled against Unai Emery’s well-drilled side, Footballrover reports.

The Super Eagles midfielder shared his thoughts on the setback, admitting the late goals made things even tougher.

Onyedika’s return not enough as Club Brugge falter

Having missed Club Brugge’s last game due to a thigh injury, Onyedika passed a late fitness test to feature against the Premier League side.

However, the hosts were stunned early when Leon Bailey put Aston Villa ahead in just the third minute.

Brugge responded quickly, with Maxim De Cuyper leveling the score in the 12th minute, igniting hopes of a strong performance.

Despite holding their own for most of the match, Brugge’s resistance broke late.

A Brandon Mechele own goal handed Villa the advantage before Marco Asensio sealed their fate with a late penalty, leaving the Belgian side with an uphill task in the return leg at Villa Park on March 12.

“We did our best” – Onyedika remains hopeful

After the match, Raphael Onyedika admitted the result was difficult to take but refused to give up hope.

“It was a tough conclusion for us. The result was heading in the right direction, so it was tough for us at the end,” he told UEFA’s official website.

“In this competition, you have to be at your best. You have to be ready for every action, every match. We’ve worked hard for this. We played our game and did our best,” he added.

With a two-goal deficit to overturn, Club Brugge face a daunting challenge in the second leg.

Meanwhile, Onyedika has been named in Nigeria’s provisional squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.

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Last Updated on March 5, 2025 4:17 am by Sir Kris