Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Tunde Eludini
Published on 2024-04-11 22:06:25
Nigerian forward Victor Boniface made an impactful comeback in the Europa League, scoring a crucial header to secure a 2-0 win for Bayer Leverkusen against West Ham United. The match remained tight until substitute Jonas Hofmann broke the deadlock with a volley in the 83rd minute. Boniface then sealed the victory with a late goal, marking his return to action after being sidelined due to injury for almost four months.
In a surprising turn of events, Atalanta, led by Ademola Lookman, stunned Liverpool at Anfield with a dominant 3-0 victory. Gianluca Scamacca scored twice and Mario Pasalic added another goal to secure the win for the Italian side. Despite Mohamed Salah’s introduction in the second half, Liverpool couldn’t recover, with a goal ruled offside. This defeat marked one of the heaviest home losses for Liverpool in European competitions, per Opta statistics.
Samuel Chukwueze, another Nigerian player, came on as a substitute for AC Milan but couldn’t help his team overcome Roma. Gianluca Mancini, the hero of the Rome Derby, scored the only goal of the match with a header from a corner, giving Roma a vital 1-0 away victory at San Siro. The Europa League also witnessed a closely contested match between Benfica and Marseille, with Angel Di Maria putting Benfica in the lead before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalized for Marseille.
With the first leg matches concluded, the stage is set for the second leg games to be played in seven days. The outcomes of these matches will determine which teams advance in the Europa League competition. The results have been a mix of surprises, upsets, and impressive performances from both players and teams.
In conclusion, the return of Victor Boniface and the stellar performances of other Nigerian players have added an exciting dimension to the Europa League competition. The second leg matches promise to be thrilling as teams battle it out for a spot in the next round of the tournament. Football fans can look forward to more action-packed games and remarkable displays from talented players in the upcoming fixtures. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis on the Europa League as the competition progresses.
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