Lens beats Sevilla 2-1 in last Champions League group game. French club earns Europa League spot
Lens players celebrate after Lens' Przemyslaw Frankowski scored his side's opening goal during the Champions League Group B soccer match between Lens and Sevilla at the Bollaert stadium in Lens, France, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Credit: AP/Thibault Camus
LENS, France — Defending Europa League champion Sevilla was knocked out of European competition Tuesday in a 2-1 loss to Lens in their final Champions League group game.
Substitute Angelo Fulgini scored six minutes into stoppage time as the northern French club secured a Europa League place.
Lens needed only a draw to clinch third place in Group B and took the lead in the 63rd minute with a penalty from Poland winger Przemysław Frankowski. He shot into the right corner after Facundo Medina was fouled by Boubakary Soumaré.
Medina then conceded a penalty that goalkeeper Brice Samba saved brilliantly one-handed from veteran defender Sergio Ramos. But the kick was re-taken because Samba had moved off his line and, on his second attempt, Ramos clipped a superb Panenka-style penalty under the crossbar in the 79th. He sarcastically cupped his ear to the Lens fans who had jeered him.
With Sevilla chasing a winner, Ramos shot over from a good position in the fourth minute of stoppage time and — moments later — Florian Sotoca played Fulgini clean through and Fulgini guided the ball neatly into the bottom right corner.
In other game, group winner Arsenal drew 1-1 at PSV Eindhoven with both already in the round of 16.
Two weeks after being routed 6-0 by Arsenal, Lens was under pressure from seven-time Europa League winner Sevilla.
Sevilla's Sergio Ramos, right, scores his side's opening goal during the Champions League Group B soccer match between Lens and Sevilla at the Bollaert stadium in Lens, France, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. Credit: AP/Thibault Camus
Veteran midfielder Ivan Rakitić had a stinging shot expertly stopped one-handed by Samba after 30 minutes. Samba was saved by his crossbar in the 56th when David Pereira Da Costa met a cross with a first-time flick.
Some 300 Sevilla fans were allowed to attend after France's Council of State overturned a decision by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin to ban traveling fans following recent violent incidents in the French league.
The late decision to ban Sevilla's fans — who do not have a reputation for violence — was widely viewed as a panic measure, especially considering there were no incidents when Lens traveled to Spain for the corresponding fixture and that Sevilla fans had booked flights and hotel rooms.
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