Bournemouth came from a goal down to beat ten-man Sparta Praha 3-1 at Stadion Letná on Thursday (5 November), and three substitutes did it. Tyler Adams, Evanilson and Rayan all scored off the bench, keeping the Cherries perfect after four league phase games in their first Europa League campaign.
Crystal Palace needed a goal in injury time for their point. Daichi Kamada scored in the first minute of added time to draw 1-1 with Hoffenheim at Selhurst Park, where Palace had been down to ten men since the 77th minute.
A missed penalty and a solo goal
Sparta made the brighter start in Prague, and Bournemouth were handed the first big chance. Ki-Jana Hoever handled to stop David Brooks, and after a long VAR check Lewis Cook stepped up. His penalty hit the inside of the post and rolled back across the face of goal and wide.
Sparta punished the miss in the 35th minute. Goalkeeper Jakub Surovcík’s long throw found Ebrima Singhateh, who beat two Bournemouth defenders and slotted past Michele Di Gregorio. Two minutes later the game turned again: Tobias Guddal, booked in the sixth minute, was shown a second yellow for holding Álvaro Rodríguez.
How the bench won it
Marco Rose sent Adams on for Adam Smith at half-time, and Adams levelled in the 57th minute with a first-time shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Evanilson came on at the hour mark, and the winner arrived in the 81st minute. Ryan Christie played him in, and he composed himself before curling his shot past Surovcík. Rayan, on for Brooks in the 72nd minute, then picked up the ball 25 yards out and drove it in for 3-1 in the 90th minute.
Bournemouth now have 12 points from four league-phase games and sit second in the table. It is seven straight wins in all competitions.
Kamada rescues ten-man Palace
Hoffenheim led at Selhurst Park after seven minutes, when Alexander Prass finished a pass from Tim Lemperle. Dean Henderson kept the gap at one, saving from Andrej Kramaric at close range before half-time.
Pierre Sage brought on Eddie Nketiah and Óscar Mingueza after 55 minutes, and Oliver Baumann made a last-ditch save to deny Yéremy Pino. Palace’s job got harder when Adam Wharton was sent off for a second yellow card in the 77th minute.
They still found the equaliser. Pino and Tyrick Mitchell worked the ball into the box, Mitchell cushioned a header down, and Kamada tucked it home from close range. The point takes Palace to five from four games, with one win, two draws and one defeat.
