In the Europa League round of 16 first leg matches, Anzhi Makachkala, led by Samuel Eto’o, played to a goalless draw against Newcastle. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Inter Milan, despite the absence of Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor. The Cameroonian Benoit Assou-Ekoto and Belgian-Malian Moussa Dembélé contributed to Tottenham’s success.
In another match, Benfica defeated Girondins de Bordeaux 1-0, with Senegalese defender Lamine Sané returning from injury. Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat against Steaua Bucharest, with Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel as the only African player in the match.
Fenerbahçe, featuring Cameroonian striker Pierre Achille Webo, secured a 1-0 victory against Viktoria Plzen. Webo scored the only goal of the match in the 81st minute. In the match between Stuttgart and Lazio Rome, Nigerian attacking midfielder Ogenyi Onazi scored the second goal for Lazio in a 2-0 win. Ivorian Arthur Boka and Guinean Ibrahima Traoré played for Stuttgart in the entire match.
