A bitter defeat at the hands of a confident opponent
Mladá Boleslav was defeated by a top quality team, whose path to the victory was made easier by the home team's fatal errors, the gravest being Ščuk's failure to score the penalty and Smejkal and Hruška's misunderstanding each other just before the third goal.
Boleslav began the first half with vigour and verve posing a threat to Lyon's goalkeeper Lopes immediately after the kick-off. However, the first ten minutes of the game had hardly elapsed before Boleslav were losing.
In the 9th minute Umtiti passed the ball from the left flank and Yattara, who Rosa did not intercept early enough, scored a header brushing the ball lightly against the cross-bar of Boleslav's goal - 0:1.
This was a serious blow to Boleslav's hope for a decent result before the second leg. From that moment on, Lyon controlled the game easily exchanging the ball accurately. Boleslav's Skalák won a corner kick in the 11th minute, but to no avail. Ďuriš shot in the 24th minute, but Lopes had no difficulty saving this weak attempt.
Boleslav were close to equalising in the 28th minute. Bořil zigzagged almost as far as the by-line enticing Lyon's goal keeper to come to the side of the penalty area; unfortunately, Skalák missed the abandoned goal. Gonalons brought down Magera in the subsequent turmoil in the penalty area and referee Welz pointed to the penalty spot. Ščuk sent the ball right to the falling goal keeper thus thwarting the chance to equalise. "I ruined the game," lamented Jasmin Ščuk.
In the 30th minute Magera's free kick from the right touchline found Navrátil at the distant goal-post, but his attempt was several centimetres wide.
The 36th minute witnessed Lyon's first corner kick played by Lacazette, who landed the ball at Gonalons's head at the closer goal-post - 0:2. Lyon's lineup left the pitch for the dressing rooms much happier in the half time.
The beginning of the second half saw Boleslav perform in a way more dreadful style than they did in the first half and offer their opponents a chance to score for the third time.
In the 47th minute Smejkal did not communicate with Hruška at the border of the penalty area and offered the ball to Yattara, who sent the ball to the empty net easily - 0:3.
Boleslav looked pretty bad, but were not willing to give up yet. Skalák sent the ball to Šultes from a free kick and Ščuk then shot and missed the goal; a while later Milla collaborated with Šultes getting the ball to Štohanzl, whose shot ended in Lopes's arms. In the 56th minute Yattara's cross found Lacazette at the goal area, he shot alongside Hruška, whose reflexive save marred a nearly certain goal.
In the 66th minute Skalák's corner kick landed on Rosa's head and he scored - 1:3. This was a huge encouragement; yet, Boleslav's joy only lasted for a single minute.
In the 67th minute Umtiti hit the left top corner with a shot from twenty metres and Hruška, hard as he tried, was too short - 1:4.
In the 75th minute Benzia missed Boleslav's unguarded goal from the goal area and Boleslav's defenders managed to avert to corner kicks a while later. In the 83rd minute Skalák won the goal in the middle of the field, passed it to Vukadinovič on the left, but Lopes punched the ball out and then cleared Šísler's attempt beyond the by-line. Boleslav played the corner kick, Šultes lifted the ball with his head to Ščuk, whose header was closely too high.
It was encouraging to see Boleslav, in the last minutes of the game, attempting to score a second goal that would have alleviated the cruel defeat. Unfortunately, neither Skalák's free kick, nor Bořil's pass, missed by Šultes, led to success.
Composition of Mladá Boleslav Football Club: Hruška - Bořil, Navrátil, Smejkal, Rosa - Milla, Ščuk - Skalák, Magera (46. Šultes), Štohanzl (60. Vukadinovič) - Ďuriš (71. Šisler).
Composition of Olympique Lyon: Lopes - Jallet, Biševac, Koné (70. Bedino), Umtiti - Mvuemba, Gonalons, Ferri, Malbranque (64. Fekir) - Yattara (70. Benzia), Lacazette.
Goals: 66. Rosa - 9. and 47. Yattara, 36. Gonalons, 67. Umtiti
Yellow cards: Magera, Rosa, Ďuriš, Milla - Gonalons
Referees: Tobias Welz, Thorsten Schiffner, Rafael Folty (all from Germany)
Attendance: 4800
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