Lyon’s Europa League campaign ended in disappointment Thursday evening, falling 2-0 to Celta Vigo at the Groupama Stadium and losing 3-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16. The match was decisively altered by a 19th-minute red card issued to Lyon centre-back Moussa Niakhaté, a decision described by some as harsh.
The dismissal forced Lyon to play with ten men for over seventy minutes, a disadvantage Celta Vigo exploited. Javi Rueda opened the scoring for the visitors in the 61st minute, tapping in a cross after a period of sustained pressure. Ferran Jutgla then sealed the victory for Celta in added time, effectively ending Lyon’s hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals.
The defeat marks a setback for Lyon, who had topped their Europa League group. Despite a dominant performance from goalkeeper Dominik Greif in the first half, keeping Celta at bay with a series of saves, the numerical disadvantage ultimately proved insurmountable.
Adding to the drama, the match occurred amidst news that Niakhaté’s recent Africa Cup of Nations title with Senegal has been stripped by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), a development noted during the broadcast. The reason for the stripping of the title was not immediately clear.
Celta Vigo’s victory came after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Spain. Lyon had briefly threatened to take the lead in the first half, but the sending off of Niakhaté shifted the momentum. The Spanish side continued to press, with several opportunities thwarted by Greif before Rueda’s breakthrough.
Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca made changes in the second half, introducing Afonso Moreira, Pavel Sulc, and Malick Fofana, but the substitutions failed to alter the course of the match. Fofana’s appearance marked his return to action after a lengthy absence due to an ankle injury sustained in October.
The result leaves Lyon focusing on Ligue 1 for the remainder of the season. They are scheduled to host Monaco on Sunday.
Celta Vigo will now advance to the Europa League quarter-finals, awaiting the results of the remaining Round of 16 ties to learn their next opponent.
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