Victor Olatunji was the star of the night as Sparta Prague defeated RB Salzburg 3-0 in their UEFA Champions League (UCL) group-stage encounter on Wednesday night.

The 25-year-old produced a stellar performance on his UCL debut to lead his Czech League champions to an improbable victory in the new-look UCL format.

Billed as one of ten Nigerian players expected to star in the competition, Olatunji volleyed in from an acute angle to double Sparta’s lead in the 42nd minute, netting his first-ever goal in the UCL group stage.

He celebrated the feat by revealing an inscription in his undershirt: “I am a Chosen. Who are you?”. The celebration was a nod to the part prayer, part comedic trend rocking the Nigerian social media space for the past few days.

Olatunji then assisted Qazim Laci in sealing the victory in the second half. Kaan Kairinen had put the hosts ahead on three minutes.

It is Sparta Prague’s first UCL group stage win in 21 years. Olatunji also made history as the first Nigerian international to score and assist on his UCL group stage debut.

The goal is also his third of this season’s competition, adding to the two he netted in the qualifying rounds.

In other matches, Inter Milan held Manchester City to a goalless draw, while Celtic were the highest winners of the night with a 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava. Raphael Onyedika played all 90 minutes but could not save Club Brugge from a 3-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund at home.

RESULTS
Bologna 0-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Sparta Prague 3-0 RB Salzburg
Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava
Club Brugge 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
Manchester City 0-0 Inter Milan
PSG 1-0 Girona

For a while, it seemed Ademola Lookman had signed off as an Atalanta player with the most flamboyant of flourishes.

His dazzling hat-trick in the Europa League final delivered a first European trophy to the club, in the process making the Italians the only side to beat Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen juggernaut all season.

You would be hard pressed to find a more decisive cup final performance. Inevitably, after the initial torrent of praise came the enquiries, with Paris Saint-Germain coming knocking for the Nigerian late in the transfer window.

Lookman ended up training alone and unavailable for selection while awaiting news after the season had started.

It was the last thing Gian Piero Gasperini needed after what had already been a difficult summer.

He had already lost star striker Gianluca Scamacca to an ACL injury, forcing Atalanta into the market to sign Italy international Mateo Retegui, while Teun Koopmeiners joined domestic rivals Juventus after a drawn-out transfer saga.

But now, with the market safely closed and nothing ultimately coming of PSG’s advances, things are looking bright again for Atalanta and Lookman alike just in time for the visit of Arsenal.

Lookman became the first Atalanta player to receive a Ballon d’Or nomination when he was named on the 30-man shortlist after a year of Europa League heroics and a starring role in Nigeria’s run to the Africa Cup of Nations final.

And on Sunday, he came in from the cold to belatedly play his first league minutes of the season against Fiorentina, putting in a man-of-the-match display in a 3-2 win that earned him gushing praise once more from the Italian media.

Lookman’s mesmerising assist for Retegui’s opener was followed by a sublime goal of his own, tying two defenders in knots before wrong-footing David de Gea with a clever finish.

“The magician is back to being a phenomenon,” gushed Gazzetta dello Sport, while Sky Sport Italia said: “His season has resumed the way the last one finished: as the best player on the pitch.”

Lookman couldn’t have timed his game-changing performance much better. Not only was it desperately needed after a humbling 4-0 defeat at Inter Milan before the international break, but it came on a landmark day in the history of his club as they played in their completely renovated stadium for the first time.

Il Giornale wrote that Lookman “turned on the lights in the new house” as Atalanta’s supporters packed into a new-look Gewiss Stadium that was finally finished after almost 2000 days of work and 100 million euros of investment.

The mood music is upbeat once more as Bergamo prepares to host Champions League football again after two years when Arsenal come to town.

It’s a challenge that Lookman will relish. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Ademola was brought up playing cage football across the capital, developing the explosive movement, one-on-one skills and quick feet that characterise his game.

His journey from the south London streets to a Ballon d’Or shortlist has taken him from Waterloo to Charlton, Everton and Leipzig, with stops in Leicester and Fulham on the way before he arrived at Atalanta.

Lookman has now played more games, 80, for the Italians than any other club and his two seasons in Lombardy have been the most prolific of his career, producing a combined 32 goals in all competitions.

But if PSG’s interest wasn’t surprising, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t disruptive.

Lookman reportedly asked not to be picked for the opening weeks of the Serie A season to avoid injury ahead of a potential move, and he trained alone until being reintegrated when a deal could not be struck.

But any worries that coming back into the fold would be problematic quickly dissolved against Fiorentina.

“He had a bit of a difficulty due to the transfer window and we were aware of that,” defender Berat Djimsiti said after the game.

“We told him to be calm… do what you were doing before, and we will all be happy. That’s what he did.”

The brilliance of Lookman’s display was the perfect way of drawing a line under the saga as attention quickly turns to Arsenal.

Rumours abound that Gasperini could sacrifice an attacker for a midfielder for the visit of the Gunners and you can see why.

Atalanta have scored and conceded eight goals in four games so far – only three teams have scored more, but nobody has conceded more.

Even a magician might find it hard to conjure up results against Europe’s elite unless that problem is solved quickly.

– inews

As if record 15-time winners Real Madrid’s Champions League prospects were not great enough already, superstar striker Kylian Mbappe’s arrival makes Los Blancos the most daunting team in the competition.

German side Stuttgart have the honours of facing the reigning kings of Europe in the opening week of the competition, travelling to the Santiago Bernabeu today.

Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund in last season’s Wembley final to claim the trophy for the sixth time in the last 11 years.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti, the most decorated manager in the history of the tournament with five triumphs, has not yet found the perfect set-up to get Mbappe firing from open play, but few doubt he will.

The 25-year-old had arguably his best game for the club in the 2-0 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday in La Liga, threatening the Basque side with his pace and connecting well with Vinicius Junior in attack.

Mbappe scored, albeit from the penalty spot, and he is looking forward to his Champions League debut in Madrid’s resplendent white.

“It will be very important for me – as I said on the first day, I came to Madrid to live these type of nights,” explained the striker.

“I am very focused on what we have to do, the Champions League has changed a lot, it’s a new competition, and we have to win to start well.”

The new-look structure has thrown up ties for Madrid at home against Dortmund, in a rematch of last season’s showpiece, and away at Liverpool, whom they defeated in the 2022 final.

First come Stuttgart, continuing a streak of German opponents for Los Blancos, after they faced Bayern Munich in the semis before Dortmund in London.

Los Blancos have played one European game already this season, defeating Atalanta to win the UEFA Super Cup in August, with Mbappe scoring on his debut.

Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger came through Stuttgart’s youth system and played in the first team for four seasons.

Ancelotti has problems in midfield with Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni out injured, although the Italian was hopeful the latter two could take part against the Germans.

While Madrid’s shiny new toy Mbappe is drawing much of the attention, Ancelotti has plenty of stars at his disposal with the talent to turn defeats into draws and draws into victories, something of a penchant for the club, particularly under the lights in Europe.

Bellingham was Madrid’s key player for the first half of last season, making an immediate impact on his arrival from Dortmund.

Brazilian forward Vinicius was vital in the home straight, netting a brace in the semis against Bayern and scoring again in the final.

The forward has struggled to find his best level at the start of the season but his coach will show plenty of patience.

“We love him here because although right now he’s not at his best, nobody can forget that with Vini we have won two Champions Leagues,” pointed out Ancelotti last week.

Mbappe says he is working on his on-pitch relationship with Vinicius, with both netting penalties in the win over La Real.

“We try to find each other in training to create the connection and help the team,” continued Mbappe.

“He’s a great player and I’m happy to play with him in Real Madrid – what’s important is goals, not who takes the penalties.”
Mbappe has three La Liga goals from four games this season, including two penalties, while Vinicius has two, both from the spot.

Once the two forwards are firing on all cylinders in open play Madrid’s already sizeable chance of winning the Champions League yet again will grow further still.