Mexican forward Armando González returned to the scoring column on Wednesday, netting the decisive goal to lift Olympiacos to a 1-0 victory over Sparta Prague during the third matchday of the Europa League.
González began the fixture on the bench as manager Imanol Alguacil opted for Román Yaremchuk in the starting lineup. With the score deadlocked at 0-0 heading past the hour mark, Alguacil turned to his bench in the 62nd minute, introducing González to inject fresh energy into the attack.
The tactical change paid dividends in the 78th minute. Marcos Holgrem Pedersen drove down the right flank, penetrated the penalty area, and delivered a precise cross into the box. González met the service with a well-timed header, directing the ball past the Sparta Prague defense and into the back of the net to break the scoreless tie.
The decisive header initially sparked confusion regarding the official goalscorer. As Olympiacos immediately celebrated the strike as González’s contribution, European football governing body UEFA initially credited the play as an own goal to Sparta Prague defender Sivert Mannsverk, who appeared to get a slight touch on the ball during the Mexican forward’s aerial effort. However, following a post-match review, UEFA officially rectified the ruling, awarding the goal to the former Chivas player.
With the strike, González brought his tally to five total goals for Olympiacos since joining the Greek club, marking his second goal in the current European competition.
The hard-fought 1-0 triumph moves Olympiacos upward in the tournament standings, placing the Greek side in fifth position with nine points. Meanwhile, Sparta Prague remains stuck on four points, dropping to sixteenth place in the league table following the defeat.
