Ararat-Armenia suffer defeat to Sparta in first leg of Conference League

Yerevan-based Ararat-Armenia were defeated 1-4 away to Sparta Prague in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round.

Despite the final scoreline, the match was not entirely one-sided. The Armenian side started the game actively and took the lead early on thanks to a goal by Colombian midfielder Juan Balanta. However, the hosts soon took control: Lukáš Haraslín equalized, followed by goals from Kairinen, Jan Kuchta, and Birmančević. The Armenian team managed to put up a fight against a technically superior opponent.

Despite the heavy loss, Ararat-Armenia still have a chance. The second leg will be held on August 14 in Yerevan, where the Armenian side will aim to bounce back and fight for a win in front of their home crowd.

Earlier the same day, another Armenian club in European competitions, Noah, played to a draw with Gibraltar’s Lincoln in the Europa League.

Tulipa: "The difference in quality was evident — Sparta deservedly won"