Onazi eyes Bayer Leverkusen scalp in UCL play-off

EXCLUSIVE: The Nigeria midfielder hopes to see Lazio through to the group stages of the Champions League in Wednesday’s game at the Bay Arena For Ogenyi Onazi, an opportunity to hit another milestone in his young career beckons on Wednesday night when Laziotake on Bayer Leverkusenin the second leg play-off game to reach the lucrative group stages of the Uefa Champions League. The Italians go into the game at the Bay Arena with a 1-0 head start from the first leg last week where Keita scored. If they maintain their lead to win the encounter, it would be Onazi’s first foray into the main Champions League stage where they will come up against Europe’s best sides. But it won’t be an easy game against the Germans who have taken maximum points in the Bundesliga’s opening two matches thus far. “Well, we have done our home work and we expect a strong game [against Leverkusen],” Onazi toldGoal. “But our hope is on God. “And we will do our best to win the game because we want to play in the Champions League.” The 22-year-old played 53 minutes in the first leg victory and hopes to take on a larger role with the Rome-based side in order to play on the bigger stage offered by the competition. “Now at Lazio I have a lot of responsibility in the team but I’m up to the task,” he said. “Playing in the Champions League is another experience for me in my career, another stage in my football career.” Lazio take on Leverkusen at the Bay Arena on Wednesday at 7:45pm (WAT/Local time in Nigeria).