Patrick TwumasiGetty

Twumasi's Astana suffer defeat against Sporting CP in Europa League

Ghana striker Patrick Twumasi played full throttle when 10-man Astana FK suffered a 3-1 home defeat against Portuguese side Sporting CP in the first leg of the Europa League knockout stage on Thursday.

Astana, who are the first club from Kazakhstan to reach this stage, took the lead through Marin Tomasov by the seventh minute.

Bruno Fernandes equalised for the visitors from the spot three minutes after the break, following a bad tackle by Yuri Logvinenko.

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Two minutes later, Gelson Martins made it 2-1 for Sporting before Seydou Doumbia added another by the 56th minute.

Stanimir Stoilov's men came close to reducing the deficit with Twumasi firing wide twice. By the hour mark Astana were reduced to 10 men after Logvinenko picked his second booking of the day.

Twumasi had the last chance of the game by the 89th minute to bring his side back in the tie after he was played through by a teammate, but he was ruled offside.

Ghana defender Lumor Agbenyenu, who joined Sporting from Portimonense during the January transfer window, was not part of the Portuguese side's matchday squad.

The return leg has been scheduled for next Thursday at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.

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