Olympique Lyonnais 3–2 Crystal Palace: Sulc decides the match in the 76th minute
Olympique Lyonnais beat Crystal Palace 3–2 in Matchday 2 of the Europa League and ended the visitors' unbeaten run. Pavel Sulc settled the match in the 76th minute, restoring Lyon's two-goal lead after an assist from Keito Nakamura.
Automatically translated from Polish · AI-generated from GolVolt data and the sources listed below the article
Two Lyon goals before the break
The hosts took the lead as early as the 8th minute. Corentin Tolisso opened the scoring at 1–0 from a corner, after Crystal Palace's defence failed to clear the ball from the box. Just before the break, in first-half stoppage time (45+2), Ernest Nuamah made it 2–0. He finished with his left foot from the centre of the box after a cross from Keito Nakamura on the left. Lyon went into the dressing room with a two-goal lead, and Palace had not responded in the first 45 minutes.
Pino pulls one back, Sulc answers
The visitors reacted quickly after the break. In the 50th minute Yéremy Pino, set up by Adam Wharton, cut the deficit to 2–1 in home–away notation, to just one goal. Lyon's answer came in the 76th minute. Pavel Sulc struck from close range and gave the hosts a two-goal cushion again, at 3–1. Keito Nakamura also set up that goal, giving him two assists in the match. That goal ultimately proved decisive.
Kamada makes for a nervy finish
Crystal Palace got back into the game in the 81st minute. Daichi Kamada scored the goal that made it 3–2 after a scramble in Lyon's box: the ball fell to the Japanese player's feet after a cross from Anan Khalaili, and the defenders failed to clear it cleanly. Lyon had to defend in the closing stages. Dominik Greif saved Chris Richards' header, and in stoppage time he also dealt with a corner, preventing the equaliser.
An even contest
The statistics show a very close match. Possession was 51% for Lyon and 49% for Palace, shots were 11 to 12, and there were 4 on target for each side. Lyon had 5 corners, the visitors 3. Nakamura's two assists made the difference. After this match Pino has 2 league goals this season.
Fonseca's words about the opponent
Before the match Paulo Fonseca praised the visitors' manager. He admitted he likes facing teams of the former Lyon coach. He said: "Pierre Sage is very strong tactically." After the match Sage left Lyon without points, and his side lost despite scoring two goals in the second half. Palace have scored 6 goals this season, 2 of them after the 75th minute.
Palace's run comes to an end
Crystal Palace suffered a defeat after 3 matches without losing, and that run is over. Lyon scored in a 4th consecutive match. It is their second win in the Europa League league phase after two matchdays. Paulo Fonseca's side moved up to third place in the table, although their position still depended on later games that evening. Palace dropped to around tenth place.
