Nigeria, Jan. 29 -- Nigerian footballers will remain firmly in the spotlight in Europe after a dramatic night of UEFA Champions League action on Wednesday confirmed the teams advancing to the knockout stages of the competition.

With all 18 matches kicking off at the same time, the final round of the league phase delivered high drama, goals and major shifts on the table.

By the end of the night, eight teams had booked automatic places in the Round of 16, while several others - led by clubs with key Nigerian players - secured spots in the playoff round.

For Nigeria's leading stars, it was a mixed but largely positive evening, with Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Raphael Onyedika and Bruno Onyemaechi all seeing their clubs progress beyon...