Osimhen, Lookman and Other Super Eagles Stars Who Will Play Champions League This Season
- The draw for this season's UEFA Champions League group stage has been conducted, and it will kick off on September 16
- The competition will be in its second format for the second season after the success of last season, with Paris Saint-Germain winning
- Six Super Eagles stars will partake in this season's tournament, including Victor Osimhen, who will lead Galatasaray's attack
Super Eagles players will represent their different clubs in the UEFA Champions League this season after the group stage draw was conducted on Thursday.
The competition enters the second season of the new format introduced last year, which has all 36 teams in a single group with each team playing eight games.
Source: Getty Images
Paris Saint-Germain will defend their title this season and have been handed tough draws, including two matches against Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, two clubs with Nigerian players.
Legit.ng looks at six Super Eagles stars who will play Champions League football this season, as first called by The Athletic NG.
Super Eagles stars in the Champions League
Victor Osimhen
Osimhen spent last season on loan at Galatasaray, helping the club win the Turkish Super League title and this qualifying directly for the Champions League group stage, which would be his fifth season playing UCL football, having also played for Napoli and LOSC Lille, as noted by Transfermarkt.
Galatasaray have been drawn against Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Bodo Glimt and Royal Union Saint-Gilloise at home and Manchester City, Eintracht Frankfurt, Ajax and Monaco away.
Ademola Lookman
Lookman's future at Atalanta is uncertain, and as the transfer window enters the final three days, he has yet to secure a move and could remain in Bergamo, but it remains to be seen if he will be included in the squad.
The 2024 UEFA Europa League winners have drawn Chelsea, Club Brugge, Sparta Prague, and Athletic Bilbao at home, while they will travel to face Paris Saint-Germain, Frankfurt, Marseille, and Union Saint-Gilloise.
Source: Getty Images
Victor Boniface, Nathan Tella
Boniface's proposed move to AC Milan collapsed after he failed medical checks due to his ACL injury history and will remain in Leverkusen alongside compatriot Nathan Tella.
Leverkusen, under former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, will face Paris Saint-Germain, Villarreal, PSV Eindhoven, and Newcastle United at home and Manchester City, Benfica, Olympiacos, and Copenhagen away.
Raphael Onyedika
Club Brugge qualified for the group stage of the Champions League after beating Rangers 9-1 on aggregate in the playoffs. The Belgian club will face Barcelona, Arsenal, Marseille, and Monaco at home, and Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Sporting Lisbon, and debutant Kairat Almaty away.
Igoh Ogbu
Ogbu, who made his debut for Nigeria in the Unity Cup game against Ghana, will represent Slavia Praha in the UCL this season. The Czech club have been drawn against Barcelona, Arsenal, Bodo/Glimt, and Athletic Bilbao at home, and Inter Milan, Atalanta, Tottenham, and Pafos away. The club also employs another Nigerian player, David Moses.
UCL matches to look forward to
Legit.ng analysed the five Champions League matches to look forward to after UEFA conducted the draws for the group stage matches on Thursday.
Chelsea vs Barcelona at Stamford Bridge is the most anticipated match, which the fans of both clubs wanted even before the draw was conducted.
Source: Legit.ng
