Bournemouth win 3-1 at Sparta Prague: three substitutes score and Bournemouth go top of the Europa League

Bournemouth won 3-1 at Sparta Prague on Thursday 5 November, in the fourth round of the Europa League’s league phase, and came from behind to do it. Lewis Cook missed a first-half penalty, Ebrima Singhateh put Sparta ahead in the 35th minute, and Sparta’s Tobias Guddal was sent off two minutes later. Three Bournemouth substitutes then scored: Tyler Adams in the 57th minute, Evanilson in the 81st and Rayan in the 90th. Bournemouth, in their first European campaign, have won all four games and are top of the 36-club table with 12 points.

How it happened

The scorers and minutes here come from ESPN’s match timeline; the rest from Sky Sports’ report. Bournemouth had the first big chance and wasted it: Cook missed a penalty in the first half, as Sky Sports reports. Sparta then scored, through Singhateh in the 35th minute. Within two minutes they were down to ten men: ESPN’s timeline records Guddal’s sending-off in the 37th minute. Sparta led 1-0 at half-time, a man short.

Bournemouth’s substitutes decided the second half. Adams levelled in the 57th minute, Evanilson put Bournemouth in front in the 81st, and Rayan finished it in the 90th; all three had come off the bench, as Sky Sports reports. Sky Sports calls it Bournemouth’s seventh consecutive win.

What it changes

The league phase is one table of 36 clubs. Each club plays eight different opponents; the top eight go straight to the last 16, places nine to 24 go into a play-off round, and the bottom 12 are out. Bournemouth have 12 points from four wins, which puts them top, level on points with Ferencváros, who won 2-0 at Milan on the same evening. Sparta have four points from one win, one draw and two defeats. Bournemouth’s wins so far are at Real Sociedad, at home to Sturm Graz, 3-0 at home to Milan and now in Prague.

Their next European game is in the fifth round, on 26 November, after the international break. Before that they go to Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Sunday 8 November at 15:00 CET, according to the fixture feed used on this site. Bournemouth are eighth in the Premier League with 12 points from nine games: three wins, three draws and three defeats.

What the market said

A betting price is a crowd’s opinion written as a number, and dividing 1 by the price gives a rough chance. The last price BettingBeast’s feed captured before kick-off, at 18:23 CET, made Bournemouth the favourite at 1.66, about a 60% chance. The draw was 4.53, about 22%, and Sparta 8.54, about 12%. Bournemouth, the favourite, won. The goals line was 2.5, with over 2.5 goals at 1.62 and under at 2.56, and the game had four.

19+ (18+ in Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba). Gambling involves risk and can be addictive. Please gamble responsibly. Prices quoted were correct at the time stated and move. This article is information and opinion, not advice; no outcome is certain. Odds links go to BettingBeast. Help: Responsible Gambling Council.