Lyon Beat Crystal Palace as Sunderland Snatch Late Europa League Winner
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Olympique Lyonnais defeated Crystal Palace 3-2 in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, while Sunderland secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Portuguese side Torreense with a stoppage-time goal. Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan and Bournemouth also recorded convincing wins in the league phase.
Lyon made a strong start at the Groupama Stadium, with Corentin Tolisso opening the scoring inside the first 10 minutes. Ernest Nuamah extended the hosts’ lead in first-half stoppage time, putting Crystal Palace under pressure.
Palace responded early in the second half as Yeremy Pino reduced the deficit. However, Pavel Sulc restored Lyon’s two-goal advantage with a close-range finish.
Daichi Kamada scored again for the English side with nine minutes remaining, but Lyon held on to secure their second consecutive victory in the competition.
The defeat was a disappointing return to Lyon for Palace manager Pierre Sage. He admitted his side had fallen below their usual standards, particularly during the first half.
Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen continued their impressive form with a 4-0 away win over Polish club Lech Poznan, building on their opening-round victory.
AC Milan also produced a dominant display, beating Red Bull Salzburg 4-0. Italian teenager Alphadjo Cisse scored a hat-trick, while Goncalo Ramos added another goal. Milan’s evening ended with a setback when Filippo Terracciano was sent off.
Sunderland needed a late intervention to overcome Torreense in Portugal. The hosts, who compete in the country’s second division, took the lead in the 37th minute through Volnei Feltes, whose powerful long-range strike stunned the Premier League visitors.
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris introduced Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fee before the hour mark, and the changes helped turn the match around. Jules Ahoka brought Sunderland level before Noah Sadiki scored in the 93rd minute to secure all three points.
Torreense coach Carlos Simoes said conceding so late was a major disappointment for his players, who had been close to earning a notable result against their English opponents.
Bournemouth also enjoyed a successful European home debut, defeating Sturm Graz 3-0. Evanilson, Rayan and Alvaro Rodriguez found the net as the Premier League side completed a comfortable victory.
The latest results produced an eventful round of Europa League action, with Lyon maintaining their winning start and Sunderland escaping with a dramatic late triumph.
