Bad day at the office for Awoniyi; Udogie nets second Serie A strike

The Nigerian international endured a frustrating afternoon as his side fell to their sixth away defeat of the season

Taiwo Awoniyi will bear much of the blame as Union Berlin missed the chance to go level on points with sixth-place Hoffenheim, as Urs Fischer’s men suffered a 1-0 loss at Wolfsburg.

Awoniyi, with ten Bundesliga goals to his name, has been the hero for the Iron Ones many times this season. But the Super Eagles forward ended Saturday as the villain after he netted the own goal that gifted all the three points at stake to the Wolves.

The former Liverpool signing put through his own net as he attempted to help the visitors defend a 24th-minute corner-kick. All of Union Berlin’s efforts to rescue a point yielded no fruit even after Awoniyi was substituted midway through the second half. 

Straight to Italy where, for the second consecutive weekend, teenage wing-back Destiny Udogie hit the target to help Udinese secure a fine 2-1 win over Sampdoria at the Dacia Arena – Stadio Friuli.

All three goals were scored in the opening 13 minutes as Gerard Deulofeu put the home side in front four minutes into the encounter.

Udogie then slammed home the second in the 12th minute, the Italian-Nigerian defender the first to react to a loose ball after a Deulofeu shot was blocked in the area.

It is the 19-year-old’s second goal in as many games after he grabbed his first-ever Serie A goal in the 1-1 draw away to AC Milan last week.

Francesco Caputo struck back almost immediately for the visitors, but the Zebras held on to the lead that assures them a 14th-place finish on the log this weekend no matter what other results say.