Sparta Prague's Early Lead Evaporates Against Monaco In Champions League Play

Historic Czech Squad Falls In Extra Time After Conceiving Two Goals In Second Half

Dramatic Finish Caps Off Thrilling Matchup Between European Powerhouses

After taking an early lead against French club Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round matchup, Sparta Prague ultimately fell 3-2 in extra time. Despite a promising start that saw them take an early lead, the Czech squad was unable to hold on, conceding two goals in the second half before ultimately falling in extra time.

Sparta Prague, a historic club with a rich European pedigree, looked to make a statement in the first leg of their matchup against Monaco. They started the match brightly and took the lead in the 12th minute through a goal from forward Lukas Haraslin. The goal gave Sparta Prague a valuable away goal and put them in a strong position heading into the second leg.

However, Monaco, a regular participant in the Champions League, showed their quality in the second half. They equalized in the 52nd minute through a goal from Wissam Ben Yedder, and then took the lead in the 84th minute through a goal from Aleksandr Golovin. Sparta Prague pushed for an equalizer late on, but they were unable to find a way through the Monaco defense.

The match went into extra time, and Monaco took advantage of Sparta Prague's tiring legs to score the winning goal in the 105th minute through a goal from Myron Boadu. The goal gave Monaco a 3-2 aggregate victory and put them in a strong position heading into the second leg.

Sparta Prague will be disappointed to have lost the match, but they can take heart from their performance in the first half. They showed that they can compete with the best teams in Europe, and they will be hoping to overturn the deficit in the second leg.

The second leg of the matchup will be played on August 9th at Monaco's home stadium, the Stade Louis II. Sparta Prague will need to win by at least two goals to advance to the next round of the Champions League.