Ernest Nuamah Scores as Lyon Cruise Past Sparta Prague to Reach Champions League Play-Offs
Ghana international Ernest Nuamah played a key role for Lyon on Tuesday night, scoring the opening goal in their emphatic 3-0 victory over Sparta Prague at the Groupama Stadium.
The win completed a 4-2 aggregate triumph for the French side in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, moving Lyon one step closer to securing a place in the group stage.
Nuamah opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a composed finish that gave Lyon the perfect start in front of their home supporters.
The visitors’ task became even more difficult shortly afterwards when Adam Sevinsky was shown a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, leaving Sparta Prague with ten men.
Lyon took full advantage of their numerical superiority and continued to dominate proceedings as the game progressed.
The home side extended their lead in the 66th minute when Ainsley Maitland-Niles finished off a move created by Corentin Tolisso.
Just six minutes later, Tyler Morton found the net to make it 3-0 and effectively put the tie beyond Sparta Prague’s reach.
Nuamah continued to contribute to Lyon’s attacking play before being substituted in the 76th minute, with Kail Boudache taking his place.
The Ghanaian’s early goal proved crucial in setting Lyon on their way to a convincing victory and further underlined his growing importance to the French club.
Lyon will now turn their attention to the next stage of Champions League qualifying, with their sights firmly set on reaching Europe’s premier club competition.
