Ararat-Armenia start Europa League with home loss to Sparta Prague
Ararat-Armenia, the first Armenian club to qualify for the Europa League proper, lost 4-1 at home to Sparta Prague in their league phase opener on Wednesday. Norwegian Tobias Guddal scored twice in quick succession for Sparta midway through the first half in Yerevan.
Ararat-Armenia commenced their Europa League journey with a home loss to Sparta Prague, suffering a 4-1 defeat in their opening league phase match on Wednesday. Midway through the first half, Norwegian Tobias Guddal put Sparta ahead with two quick goals. He first headed in a corner, then scored a second after the hosts struggled to clear another corner.
John Mercado and Patrik Vydra further extended Sparta's lead after halftime. However, Bruno Wilson managed to pull one goal back for Ararat-Armenia. In another early match, Omonia Nicosia triumphed over Celta Vigo with a 1-0 victory in Cyprus. Seven more games were scheduled for later on Wednesday, including high-profile clashes between AC Milan and Benfica, as well as Bayer Leverkusen and NK Celje. A total of nine matches were set to kick off on Thursday.
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