Lyon Beat Crystal Palace 3-2 in Europa League to Spoil Sage's Return

Pierre Sage had a frustrating return to the Groupama Stadium as his Crystal Palace side fell 3-2 to Lyon in the second round of Europa League group matches. The French club built a two-goal lead in the first half and then held off a spirited second-half comeback from the English visitors to secure all three points.

• Lyon beat Crystal Palace 3-2 with Tolisso and Nuamah scoring before the break.
• Pierre Sage, formerly in charge of Lyon for 14 months, lost on his return days after beating Nottingham Forest.
• Ismaïla Sarr made his first start of the season for Crystal Palace.
• Yéremy Pino and Daichi Kamada scored for the visitors but the equaliser never came.
• Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen moved top of the Europa League standings.

A First Half That Cost Crystal Palace Dearly

Lyon came out with intent and controlled the opening 45 minutes. Corentin Tolisso opened the scoring for the hosts, and Ernest Nuamah doubled their advantage late in the first half. Crystal Palace did not manage a single shot on target before the interval, leaving themselves with a mountain to climb after the restart.

Sage's return to Lyon came just three days after his team defeated Nottingham Forest, managed by his predecessor Oliver Glasner, at Selhurst Park. But this European trip proved far less enjoyable. Palace lacked sharpness in the final third during the first period and were punished for it.

Palace Push Back but Fall Short

The visitors looked more dangerous after the break. Yéremy Pino pulled one back five minutes into the second half and gave Palace hope of a comeback. Lyon responded quickly, though, with Pavel Sulc restoring their two-goal cushion and putting the Ligue 1 side back in control.

Substitute Daichi Kamada made it 3-2 with nine minutes remaining, and Crystal Palace pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages. Lyon defended their box well and saw out the match to claim a valuable win in the Europa League group phase.

Ismaïla Sarr Returns to the Starting XI

One notable talking point for Crystal Palace was the inclusion of Ismaïla Sarr from the start. The forward, who won the Conference League golden boot last season, made his first start of the current campaign. Despite his energy and movement, Sarr could not inspire his side to a positive result in France.

Benfica, Brighton and Juventus Make Statements

Elsewhere in the Europa League, Benfica thrashed Celtic 4-1 in Lisbon. Jhon Durán scored twice, including an early penalty, and Alexander Bah also found the net before half-time. Camilo Durán pulled one back for the Scottish side, but Vangelis Pavlidis added a fourth for Benfica in the 88th minute.

Brighton started their campaign with a convincing 4-0 win over Lithuanian champions Kauno Zalgiris at the Amex Stadium. Georginio Rutter scored twice and set up another in his first start since the opening day, while Jack Hinshelwood and Matt O'Riley completed the scoring.

Juventus left it late to beat Celta Vigo 2-1. Hugo Álvarez put the Spanish side ahead early on, Nick Woltemade equalised on the hour, and Randal Kolo Muani nodded in the winner from close range in the second minute of added time. Milan cruised to a 4-0 win at RB Salzburg, with teenage forward Alphadjo Cissè scoring a hat-trick.

Leverkusen Take Control at the Top

Bayer Leverkusen moved top of the standings with a commanding 4-0 victory away to Lech Poznan. Patrik Schick scored two first-half penalties, Malik Tillman added another before the interval, and Ibrahim Maza completed the scoring late on for Carles Martínez's side.

Real Sociedad recovered from their opening defeat to Bournemouth with a 1-1 draw away to Union Saint-Gilloise. The Spanish team earned their first point of the group stage in Belgium, keeping their hopes of progression alive.