By Johnny Edward:
Super Eagles winger Moses Simon played for 61 minutes in his fourth appearance in the UEFA Champions League for Gent who lost 3-2 at home to Wolfsburg in Wednesday night’s clash at the Ghelamco Arena.
Moses who passed a last minute fitness test to feature in the encounter was replaced by Thomas Matton.
Julian Draxler scored a brace for the Germans as Dieter Hecking’s side raced to a two-goal lead after 54 minutes before Max Kruse’s strike added the third goal for the visitors on the hour mark.
But the Belgians fought back through goals from Sven Kums and Kalifa Coulibaliy in the last ten minutes of the encounter to hand themselves a lifeline going into the second leg in Germany.
Draxler calmly slotted home the opener after receiving a delightful pass from his teammate Vieirinha in the 44th minute of the first half and doubled his side’s lead when he pounced on a lose ball and nutmegged Stefan Mitrovic before dinking the ball over Gent’s goalkeeper Matz Sels in goal on the night.
It was his fourth goal in his fifth appearance for Wolfsburg in the competition.
Max Kruse scored Wolfsburg’s third goal diverting Christian Traesch’s cross home with what looked like his left thigh on the hour mark.
But Gent didn’t give up as their captain Sven Kums led by example curling in a low drive to bring his side back on before substitute Coulibaly powered home a header past Koen Casteels for his side’s’ second goal on the night.
With both sides appearing in the knockout stages of the competition for the first time, the second leg in Germany offers a golden chance for them to reach the quarter-finals having avoided one of the more experienced sides in the draw.
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