The Digest:
Club Brugge icon Marc Degryse has identified Raphael Onyedika's suspension as the critical factor in the team's Champions League qualifying round elimination by Atletico Madrid. The Belgian club suffered a 4-1 aggregate defeat in the second leg in Spain, with the Super Eagles midfielder forced to miss the crucial away fixture after accumulating yellow cards in the first leg at home. Hugo Vetlesen replaced Onyedika, but Degryse told Het Laatste Nieuws: "You just felt he lacked rhythm and feeling." He explained that with Onyedika on the pitch, the team's dynamics would have been entirely different: "If you play the second leg against Atlético with Onyedika, Stankovic will be in the spaces where Vetlesen was now. Had Stankovic had those chances, he would certainly have scored once or twice." Following their European exit, Club Brugge now turn attention to domestic competitions.
Key Points:
- Onyedika's absence proved decisive in Club Brugge's European elimination.
- His suspension disrupted tactical balance against a superior opponent.
- Club Brugge loses key midfielder, while Atletico capitalises on his absence.
- This signals the Nigerian's importance to the team's Champions League ambitions.
- The timing, with domestic focus now, allows regrouping.
Sources: Pulse Sports, Het Laatste Nieuws
