Second-half goals from Islam Slimani and Karl Toko Ekambi sent Lyon through to the UEFA Europa League knockout stage with two games to spare. Slimani's opening brace ultimately proved decisive, and ensured that Lyon are now nine home games without defeat after vanquishing Sparta Prague 3-0.
Peter Bosz’s Lyon side went into this match knowing victory would seal top spot in the group, and they started the game by playing with high intensity. With Europa League top goalscorer Ekambi on the bench, the onus was on Slimani to head the attack. Yet, having missed several weeks due to injury, he initially lacked a sharpness in front of goal, allowing the resolute Sparta defence to stand firm without much in the way of major problems.
The best opportunity of the first half came from Xherdan Shaqiri splitting the Sparta Prague defence with a brilliant pass, sending Slimani through one on one with the goalkeeper, but the Algerian striker made a mess of his effort, sending it wide. In truth, both sides only showed glimpses of quality during the first half – a complete contrast to the previous matchup, which had seven goals including three in the first half alone.
Lyon came firing out the traps in the second half and piled on the pressure, as Sparta’s Florin Niță was forced into making several saves, with the best coming from a Houssem Aouar header which the Romanian spectacularly stopped. Niță then completed the double save, as he blocked Shaqiri’s rebounded effort.
That proved to be in vain though, as Slimani finally made the breakthrough 15 minutes into the second half, this time making no mistake when sent through on goal by Rayan Cherki’s incredible through ball. Effortlessly, he rounded the goalkeeper to coolly finish, and then doubled the home side’s lead just minutes later, as he rose highest to meet Maxence Caqueret’s cross with a towering header.
There was no way back for Sparta, and Ekambi added a third for Lyon in stoppage-time, for his sixth goal of the tournament. Following their stuttering start to the season, Bosz and his Lyon side seemed to have turned a corner, winning four out of four Europa League fixtures so far. As for Sparta, their aspirations of qualification to the preliminary knockouts still remains in their own hands, as they stay in second place, level on points with Rangers.
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