Crystal Palace were beaten 3-2 by Lyon on Thursday night. Sunderland, meanwhile, snatched a late 2-1 win over Portuguese side Torreense.

Several other clubs also strengthened their starts in European competition. Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Bournemouth recorded victories, while Benfica handed Celtic another painful defeat.

Lyon Punish Palace in France

Palace manager Pierre Sage endured a difficult return to Lyon. His side fell behind early and struggled to match the hosts in the first half. Corentin Tolisso opened the scoring inside 10 minutes. Ernest Nuamah then doubled Lyon’s lead in first-half stoppage time.

Palace responded after the break. Yeremy Pino pulled one back, giving the visitors hope of a comeback. That hope was short-lived. Pavel Sulc restored Lyon’s two-goal cushion with a close-range finish.

Daichi Kamada scored again for Palace with nine minutes left. But Lyon held firm to secure a 3-2 victory and a second straight win in the league phase.

“It’s a very disappointing return because we lost,” Sage told UEFA.com.

He added that Palace had fallen below their usual standards in the first half.

Sunderland Strike at the Death

Sunderland left it late to break Torreense’s resistance in Portugal. Noah Sadiki scored in the 93rd minute to seal a 2-1 victory for the Premier League side.

Torreense had threatened an upset after Volnei Feltes struck from around 30 yards in the 37th minute. The defender’s powerful effort left Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs with little chance.

Manager Régis Le Bris turned to first-team regulars Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fée before the hour mark. The changes helped Sunderland find a way back into the contest.

Jules Ahoka scored soon afterwards to level the match. A late VAR review then denied Sunderland a penalty, leaving Torreense hopeful of holding on for a draw.

Sadiki’s late strike ended those hopes. Torreense coach Carlos Simões described the final moments as a painful blow.

“The players are in the dressing room, devastated,” he said.

Leverkusen and Bournemouth Impress

Bayer Leverkusen continued their strong start with a 4-0 win away to Lech Poznań. The German side had opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory. Bournemouth also celebrated a convincing European home debut. Goals from Evanilson, Rayan and Álvaro Rodríguez secured a 3-0 win over Sturm Graz.

Juventus had to fight back against Celta Vigo. Hugo Álvarez put the Spanish hosts ahead before Nick Woltemade levelled for the visitors. Randal Kolo Muani then struck in stoppage time to complete a 2-1 comeback win for Juventus.

Celtic Suffer Another Setback

Celtic’s difficult run continued with a 4-1 defeat away to Benfica. The result marked their fourth loss in five matches. The Scottish side struggled to contain Benfica and were outplayed for much of the contest. The defeat added further pressure as Celtic seek to regain consistency.

Across the league phase, the results offered contrasting fortunes. Lyon and Sunderland had reasons to celebrate, while Palace and Celtic were left to reflect on costly setbacks.