December 13, (THEWILL) – RC Lens earned the point they needed to finish third in their UEFA Champions League group, booking a spot in the Europa League courtesy of an action-packed 2-1 victory over Spanish side Sevilla FC on Tuesday night.
The match began tentatively with chances at both ends of the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, including fine saves from Brice Samba and Sergio Ramos hitting the bar. The game sparked into life when Przemyslaw Frankowski slotted home from 12 yards after a lengthy VAR review deemed Boubakary Soumaré had fouled Facundo Medina in the area on 63 minutes.
However, Sevilla were swiftly awarded a spot kick of their own when Medina was adjudged to have pulled Youssef En-Nesyri’s arm amid more protests. Ramos saw his first effort saved, but scored at the second attempt with a ‘Panenka’ style chip after the referee had ordered a retake for Samba encroaching off his line.
The game looked to be heading for a draw until the fifth minute of added time when Angelo Fulgini pounced on a defensive mistake and clinically found the bottom corner to cue exuberant celebrations across the stadium.
The win means Lens finish third in Group B on nine points, clinching a Europa League place. Meanwhile, Sevilla miss out on European qualification altogether in what has been a dismal season so far.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
