Sparta Prague produce second-half comeback to claim first-leg win against Lyon

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sparta-prague/6qA358jH/"]Sparta[/a] had already started their domestic campaign heading into this tussle with the Ligue 1 heavyweights, and that extra sharpness was clearly evident following a lively start to proceedings here.[/p][p]Andy Irving and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alcocer-josimar/GtvcpX7m/"]Josimar Alcócer[/a] both spurned early opportunities, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lyon/2akflumR/"]Lyon[/a] defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tessmann-tanner/WjEvCrvs/"]Tanner Tessmann[/a] was almost caught out in his own box before digging the ball out of his feet and clearing the danger. [/p][p]It looked like Paulo Fonseca’s side had been punished for their lacklustre start when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brunes-jonatan/t02ZMlBB/"]Jonatan Braut[/a] Brunes fired home a clinical angled finish past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/greif-dominik/ID9k7lap/"]Dominik Greif[/a], but the visitors’ blushes were spared after VAR correctly ruled out the strike for an offside call against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/john-mercado/tSlWfuTh/"]John Mercado[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/priske-brian/08h3ewiO/"]Brian Priske[/a]'s side then had another chance to take the lead when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sevinsky-adam/8nTNJ9y7/"]Adam Sevínsky[/a] headed wide from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/macek-roman/4p4Z2cBP/"]Roman Macek[/a]’s set piece.[/p][p][b]It had been a disappointing first half for Les Gones, but they inexplicably took the lead with half-time approaching, courtesy of a comical own goal, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suchomel-martin/S2L0pCiU/"]Martin Suchomel[/a] bundled the ball into his own net after intercepting a cross towards [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tolisso-corentin/hQOIoFOs/"]Corentin Tolisso[/a]. [/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="23114fd7-5331-4c35-90ec-415132fd9040" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="3d3b6465-0f98-4ee9-b961-4d727375d8ac" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Lyon were clearly buoyed by that opener against the run of play, and almost added a second soon after the restart, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/surovcik-jakub/fwXhJa0F/"]Jakub Surovcik[/a] parried away Tolisso’s strike at his near post following a perfectly-weighted cross from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maitland-niles-ainsley/CnBQp2sj/"]Ainsley Maitland-Niles[/a]. The hosts were sensing it could be one of those nights after having a second goal ruled out for offside, with Alcócer narrowly mistiming his run before applying a tidy finish past Greif.[/p][p][b]There was a palpable sense of relief inside the ground when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rynes-matej/Gh5wWWlD/"]Rynes[/a] drilled a clinical left-footed shot into the bottom corner to restore parity for the hosts, but Sparta’s joy appeared to be short-lived when Sevínsky was penalised for bringing down [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/openda-lois/IN2MK7Jo/"]Lois Openda[/a] in the box.[/b][/p][embed guid="6d476647-2621-4564-8bd2-2648df7a4474" url="https://x.com/OL_English/status/2084729505352937670" social-type="twitter" /][p]The away section held its breath, but Tolisso failed to accept the gift and blazed the subsequent penalty well over the target.[/p][p][b]And that miss would prove to be even more costly just after the three-quarter mark, as Mercado ghosted into an unmarked position at the far post to head home Rynes’ cross.[/b][/p][p]That would ultimately prove to be decisive, leaving Sparta with a coveted lead to take to France in a week’s time. Priske's men will have genuine hope of breaking the club’s UCL third qualifying round hoodoo, after losing four of their previous five two-legged ties at this stage of Europe’s elite cup competition. Meanwhile, there is plenty of work to do for two-time semi-finalists Lyon, whose hopes of appearing in the competition proper for the first time since 2019/20 look in jeopardy.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rynes-matej/Gh5wWWlD/"]Matej Rynes[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sparta-prague/6qA358jH/"]Sparta Prague)[/a][/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/lyon-2akflumR/sparta-prague-6qA358jH/?mid=bNBc695K"]Check out the match stats here[/a][/b].[/p]