Chukwueze and Olatunji in action as AC Milan and Sparta Prague advance in Europa League
Nigerian footballers, Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Olatunji featured for their clubs in the UEFA Europa League, contributing to each securing last-16 spots on Thursday night.
Samuel Chukwueze made an impact for AC Milan as they secured their spot in the Europa League round of 16, despite a 3-2 loss to Rennes in the second leg on Thursday.
Milan advanced 5-3 on aggregate.
Chukwueze entered the game in the 62nd minute, replacing Christian Pulisic, and contributed to Milan’s overall performance.
AC Milan endured a nervy encounter against Rennes but ultimately secured their spot in the UEFA Europa League last 16 with a 5-3 aggregate victory. Despite Rennes’ valiant efforts, Milan held on to their first-leg advantage to progress in the competition.
Benjamin Bourigeaud’s impressive hat-trick for Rennes, featuring two well-taken penalties and a stunning long-range strike, kept the French side in contention. However, Milan responded swiftly to each of Rennes’ goals, maintaining their lead on aggregate.
Rafael Leao scored his second goal of the tie for Milan, rewarding his team’s collective effort over both legs. Luka Jovic, starting in place of Olivier Giroud, also made a significant impact with a clinical finish.
Meanwhile, Victor Olatunji featured for Sparta Prague in their dominant 4-1 home victory against nine-man Galatasaray.
Sparta Prague progressed to the next round with a 6-4 aggregate win over the Turkish side.
In other Europa League matches, Roma narrowly edged Feyenoord on penalties, Benfica knocked out Toulouse, Marseille eliminated Shakhtar Donetsk, and Freiburg defeated Lens to secure their spots in the next round.
