Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Benfica and Bournemouth all also won to maintain their perfect starts to the league phase. It was a painful return to his old home for Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage as the UEFA Conference League champions fell to their fourth defeat of the season in all competitions. Because we lost, “It’s a very disappointing return.
French club Lyon held off Crystal Palace 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday, while Sunderland made a late comeback to break the hearts of Portuguese second-division side Torreense.
I can’t take satisfaction from coming back home or seeing familiar faces when the result isn’t there,” Sage told UEFA.com.
Yeremy Pino halved the deficit for Palace early in the second period, but a close-range flick by Pavel Sulc restored Lyon’s two-goal buffer. Club-record signing Goncalo Ramos made it four on 72 minutes before a red card for Filippo Terracciano took some of the sheen off the win for Ruben Amorim’s men. In the Estadio Municipal de Leiria, Portuguese Cup winners Torreense looked set to hold their Premier League opponents to a draw until Noah Sadiki’s 93rd-minute strike made it 2-1 for the visitors. The 15th-placed side in Portugal’s second tier stunned Sunderland in the 37th minute as centre-half Volnei Feltes cut past a flimsy challenge and unleashed a piledriver 30 yards from goal, which left Robin Roefs rooted to the spot. Fellow Premier League outfit Bournemouth enjoyed a fine home debut in Europe as they eased to a 3-0 win over Sturm Graz, courtesy of goals by Evanilson, Rayan and Alvaro Rodriguez.
