Lens beats Sevilla 2-1 in last Champions League group game. French club earns Europa League spot

Tue, Dec 12, 2023
Soccer News (AP)

LENS, France (AP) - 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 Przemyslaw Frankowski. He shot into the right corner after Facundo Medina was fouled by Boubakary Soumare.

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.

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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.

Veteran midfielder Ivan Rakitic 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 Gerald 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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