The French side took control early, with Corentin Tolisso opening the scoring within the first ten minutes. Ernest Nuamah extended the lead just before the halftime whistle, putting Lyon in a commanding position. Although Yeremy Pino pulled a goal back for Palace early in the second half, Pavel Sulc restored the two-goal cushion shortly after. Despite a late strike from Daichi Kamada in the 81st minute, Lyon successfully defended their lead to claim all three points.
Sunderland snatch late victory in Portugal
Elsewhere, Sunderland avoided an upset against Portuguese second-tier side Torreense, securing a dramatic 2-1 win thanks to a 93rd-minute goal from Noah Sadiki. The hosts had taken a surprise lead in the 37th minute through a spectacular 30-yard strike from Volnei Feltes, leaving Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs with no chance.
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris turned to his bench before the hour mark, introducing Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fee to spark a recovery. The tactical shift proved effective, as Jules Ahoka equalized shortly after their arrival. Despite a late VAR review denying the visitors a penalty, Sadiki’s stoppage-time winner ultimately broke the resistance of the Portuguese Cup winners, leaving Torreense coach Carlos Simoes to describe the late defeat as a devastating blow.
European results round-up
The Europa League action saw several other notable performances. Bayer Leverkusen continued their strong form with a dominant 4-0 win away at Lech Poznan. AC Milan also impressed with a 4-0 victory against Red Bull Salzburg, highlighted by a hat-trick from teenager Alphadjo Cisse, though the win was slightly marred by a late red card for Filippo Terracciano.
Bournemouth enjoyed a successful home debut in European competition, comfortably defeating Sturm Graz 3-0 with goals from Evanilson, Rayan, and Alvaro Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Juventus mounted a comeback to beat Celta Vigo 2-1, with Randal Kolo Muani netting a decisive injury-time winner. In other fixtures, Celtic’s difficult run continued as they suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Benfica, marking their fourth loss in their last five matches.
