Umar Sadiq, the Nigerian forward on loan from Real Sociedad to Valencia, scored his first-ever brace in a La Liga match against Osasuna, earning him the title of man of the match.
Despite having to fight for a spot in the starting lineup, he made the most of his opportunity, scoring two goals for his team. His contributions helped Valencia secure a dramatic 3-3 draw.
Osasuna’s coach, Moreno, could not hide his admiration for Sadiq’s late goal: “It was a stroke of genius from Umar, in the end, you can do little.”
With Valencia‘s first-choice striker, Hugo Duro, struggling with fitness issues, coach Carlos Corberán opted to give Sadiq a chance. In the 14th minute of the match, Osasuna took the lead through Diego Lopez. However, in the 26th minute, Aimar Oroz equalized for Valencia, making it 1-1.
Just six minutes later, Sadiq put Valencia ahead again with his first goal, showing excellent poacher’s instinct. However, Valencia’s defense could not hold up, and before halftime, Osasuna turned the game around, ending the first half 3-2.
In the second half, despite Valencia’s efforts, the game seemed unlikely to turn in their favor. However, as the match drew to a close, Sadiq made his mark again. He controlled a low cross from Canos with his back to goal and, with a brilliant flick, sent the ball spinning into the far corner of the net.
With these two goals, Sadiq’s tally for the season increased to four. This performance may lead to more playing time for him, and he could become a valuable alternative for his team ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.