Endrick snatches late leveller to keep Lyon's Europa League quarter-final hopes alive
Down a goal against ten men and running out of ideas — then Endrick arrived to rescue Lyon's Europa League campaign.
Europa League
Lyon left Vigo with a hard-earned draw after Endrick's late equaliser cancelled out Javier Rueda's first-half opener, leaving the Europa League last-16 tie perfectly poised ahead of the second leg in France.
Celta were the sharper side early on, taking the lead through Rueda who swept home after Williot Swedberg's driving run and low cross. Lyon struggled to respond despite dominating possession, with Ionuț Radu making a string of saves — most notably a superb stop from a close-range Yaremchuk header — to keep the hosts ahead.
The tie shifted when Borja Iglesias picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Clinton Mata, leaving Celta with ten men for the final 35 minutes. Lyon pushed relentlessly but Radu kept them at bay until the closing minutes, when he fumbled Endrick's powerful low drive over the line.
It is a costly failure to hold on for Celta, who now travel to France without Iglesias — suspended for the second leg — and needing a result to stay in the competition. For Lyon, Endrick's intervention keeps their dream of back-to-back Europa League quarter-final appearances very much alive.
Celta Vigo 1-1 Lyon (Rueda 28' | Endrick 87')