In their last Champions League group match, Sevilla, the reigning winner of the Europa League, lost 2-1 to Lens and were eliminated from European competition.
Six minutes into stoppage time, replacement Angelo Fulgini scored, guaranteeing the northern French team a spot in the Europa League.
Winger Przemysław Frankowski of Poland gave Lens the lead in the 63rd minute, and the team only required a draw to secure third place in Group B. Boubakary Soumaré fouled Facundo Medina, and he scored into the right corner.
After that, Medina let up a penalty that veteran defender Sergio Ramos skillfully saved with one hand. However, Samba had gone off his line, thus the kick was retaken. In the 79th, Ramos scored a fantastic penalty in the vein of Panenka, clipping it under the crossbar on his second try. To the Lens supporters who had made fun of him, he jokingly cupped his ear.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, with Sevilla looking for a winner, Ramos missed a wonderful opportunity to shoot over. A few moments later, Florian Sotoca played Fulgini clear through, and Fulgini skillfully placed the ball into the bottom right corner.
Arsenal, the group winner, and PSV Eindhoven tied 1-1 in the other match; both teams had advanced to the round of 16.
Sevilla, the seven-time winners of the Europa League, was putting pressure on Lens two weeks after the team was destroyed 6-0 by Arsenal.
After thirty minutes, Samba skillfully blocked a stinging attempt by veteran player Ivan Rakitić with one hand. In the 56th minute, David Pereira Da Costa met a cross with a first-time flick, and Samba was saved by his crossbar.
The Council of State of France reversed Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin’s decision to restrict traveling fans due to violent occurrences in the French league, permitting about 300 Sevilla supporters to attend.
Given that there were no disturbances when Lens came to Spain for the match and that Sevilla fans had made travel and hotel reservations, the tardy decision to ban the team’s nonviolent supporters was mainly seen as a panic move.
