Olympique Lyonnais qualified for the round of 16 after their success over Sparta Prague (3-0), doubled for Slimani

Olympique Lyonnais and the Europa League, it’s a business that rolls around! After a delicate first leg in Czechia 2 weeks ago, the Gones Lyonnais did not give details this Thursday evening at Groupama Stadium, against Sparta Prague (3-0). Lacking confidence and success in recent weeks, Algerian international striker Islam Slimani has scored twice. Entering late in the game, Karl Toko Ekambi scored his 6th goal in 4 C3 games this season, on a service from promising home striker Bradley Barcola. This major success qualifies Peter Bosz’s men for the rest of the competition.

Gones with two faces

While, every European Thursday of this season, Peter Bosz’s men seem transported by the prestige of the Europa League, their start to the meeting was not of this level. Technically borrowed, Houssem Aouar’s teammates missed a lot of passes in the first act. Islam Slimani (13th) and Thiago Mendes (17th) quickly tried their luck, without really worrying the last Romanian bulwark of Sparta Prague, Florin Niță.

But it was the Czech international striker Jakub Pešek who almost opened the scoring at the half-hour mark. Left alone by an inattentive Thiago Mendes, the Sparta player saw his powerful cross shot from the right barely repelled by a very vigilant Anthony Lopes (27th). Not very confident and timid during his last outings in red and white, Islam Slimani immediately missed a face-to-face with Niță: his strike from the right heel went largely to the side (29th). However, the pressing and especially the performance of the Czech team was far from impressive.

The joker Slimani had hidden his game well

After a sluggish return from the locker room, everything will settle down by the hour mark for the Rhone residents. On a remarkable serve from Rayan Cherki, Slimani managed his second meeting of the match with Niță, scoring from the right after eliminating the goalkeeper of the visiting team (1-0, 61st). The Algerian did it again in the wake, without warning, on a superb topspin center from Maxence Caqueret catapulted from the head to the back of the net (2-0, 63rd).

Entering late in the game, Karl Toko Ekambi scored the third goal on a nice serve from a new talent from Lyon, the young Bradley Barcola (19). The perfect center of the promising attacker allowed the former Villarreal player to close the debate at the very end of the match (3-0, 90th + 2). Thanks to the draw at the same time between Brøndby and Glasgow Rangers in Denmark (1-1), Jason Denayer’s teammates qualify directly for the knockout stages of the competition. That’s already taken, before a reunion necessarily intense in emotion with Florian Maurice and especially Bruno Génésio, Sunday evening in Rennes.