UEL : Four takeaways from Bassey, Simon performances against Union Berlin, Juventus

Super Eagles duo of Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon were in action for their clubs in the Europa League on Thursday with impressive displays from them. 

Bassey played for 90 minutes in the knockout round playoff first leg for Ajax while Nantes, who played out a brave game and got a 1-1 draw against Juventus, had Super Eagles winger Moses Simon in action in the latter stages of the game. 

These are All Nigeria Soccer's takeaways from the Nigerians' performances on the day. 

1. One of Bassey's Best Club games 

Super Eagles defender, Calvin Bassey was deployed in central defence and he was very impressive for the Dutch giants in the 0-0 draw against high-flying German Bundesliga side, Union Berlin. 

It was arguably one of the best games for the versatile defender. Bassey made one successful tackle and a game-high seven clearances. The Nigerian won a team-high four aerial contests and had 92% pass accuracy. 

The former Rangers of Scotland star had the most touches by all the players on the night with 124 on his gear map. 

2. Injury Scare 

Ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea-Bissau, it was a scary sight when the defender hit the deck whilst battling for the ball with an opponent. 

Bassey required medical attention and thankfully got back to the match. 

3. Moses Simon's chance to score

Nantes winger, Moses Simon had a good chance to score for his team when he bore down on goal. 

Unfortunately, he stumbled somewhat at the edge of the box which let his marker close down on him albeit the Nigerian was able to find a teammate eventually. 

That could have been the difference in the game. He had just seven touches of the ball in thirteen minutes of action. 

4. Simon's game-time should have been longer 

The flashes of brilliance shown by Simon in  his brief appearance suggest that if he had been on the pitch for much longer than he had, perhaps the team's attacking threat would have been better. 

Nantes' best player on the night was arguably their goal scorer, Ludovoc Blas. 

The French forward could have been more dangerous, and possibly get more goals or assist Simon if only the Nigerian had played a bit longer. 

Izuchukwu Michael

Photo Credit : uefa.com

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