Slavia Prague 2-3 Lens: Two Stoppage-Time Goals Complete a Wild Comeback
Lens completed one of Matchday 1's wildest finishes at the Sinobo Stadium on Thursday, September 10, scoring twice in stoppage time to beat Slavia Prague 3-2 after trailing with only minutes left to play.
A Five-Goal Finish
Danijel Sturm put Slavia ahead in the 51st minute, assisted by Samuel Isife. Abdallah Sima equalized for Lens in the 73rd, but Sturm restored Slavia's lead in the 88th minute for what looked like a winner. Instead, Lens struck twice deep into stoppage time: Florian Thauvin leveled it at 2-2 in the first added minute, assisted by Mezian Soares Mesloub, before Ruben Aguilar completed the turnaround in the third minute of injury time.
Slavia's European Pedigree
Founded in 1892, Slavia Prague are one of Central Europe's oldest clubs and won the Mitropa Cup in 1938, one of the most prestigious pre-European Cup club competitions, pitting the best sides from Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Italy against each other. The club has been a regular European force again over the last decade, including Europa League quarterfinals in both 2019 and 2021, which makes Thursday's late collapse all the more painful.