Super Eagles Striker, Taiwo Awoniyi Shines In Germany, Makes Bundesliga Team Of The Week

 

Nigerian striker, Taiwo Awoniyi is the star of the moment.

 

This comes after he was named in the German Bundesliga Team of The Week for matchday seven after scoring a brace in Union Berlin’s 2-1 win over Mainz on Sunday.

 

Awoniyi scored twice in four minutes as Union came from behind to beat 10-man Mainz at the MEWA Arena handing his high-flying side their third win of the season, taking 12 points from seven game.

 

In a 4-3-3 formation, the Nigerian was paired with Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick and Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Breel Embolo. There was no space for Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski who failed to score as his side suffered a 2-1 loss to Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena.

 

In midfield, Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku, Cologne’s Ellyes Skhiri and Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz made the cut while Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro, Stuttgart’s Marc-Oliver Kempf, Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol and Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong are in defence.

 

Mönchengladbach’s Yann Sommer is in goal after an impressive performance in their 3-1 win over Wolfsburg.

 

However, Mainz 05 Sports Director, Christian Heidel, says he is disappointed his team failed to sign in-form Nigerian striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, from Liverpool despite their effort to do so.

 

The Nigerian endured a torrid time during his loan spell at Mainz in the 2019/20 season scoring just once in 12 league appearances and was not the favoured striker by Achim Beierlorzer.

 

Awoniyi was on loan at Union in the 2020/21 season on loan from Liverpool but despite scoring just five goals in 22 appearances in all competition in a season plagued by injuries, the German side had seen enough of his talent as they splashed €6.5m to sign him on a permanent basis.

 

Despite his difficult time at the club, Heidel said they would have loved to sign the Nigerian but due to financial constraints and Liverpool’s failure to grant them a discount.

 

“I’ve always liked him. As you have seen, rightly, ”Heidel said about Awoniyi.

 

“It was on the market, but we couldn’t finance it, we talked about him, but I didn’t get a discount,” Heidel added.

 

Awoniyi has scored eight goals in 12 appearances across all competitions with five of them coming in the league from seven appearances while providing two assists.