![Ħamrun Spartans Suffer 1-0 Loss In Champions League Opening](https://maltadaily.mt/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/hamrunweb.jpg)
Ħamrun Spartans face an uphill battle in their Champions League campaign after a 1-0 defeat to Lincoln Red Imps in the first qualifying round first leg at the Centenary Stadium.
Lincoln’s Britto scored the decisive goal in a match where both teams ended with ten men.
The Spartans were pushed back early on when Brazilian midfielder Elionay Freitas received a straight red card after only nine minutes, leaving them a player down for most of the match. Despite this, they controlled the game well, limiting Lincoln’s chances.
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Lincoln also had a player sent off just before halftime when Kike received a second yellow card, restoring numerical parity. This allowed the Spartans to dominate the second half, but they were unable to beat Lincoln goalkeeper Santiago Nauzat.
New signings Mayron, Wendell Barros, and Raphael Lopes featured for Ħamrun, but despite creating several opportunities, including a close-range header from Prsa and a shot from Corbalan, they failed to score.
A penalty awarded to Lincoln in stoppage time was overturned by VAR. The Spartans now must overcome a one-goal deficit in the second leg to advance to face Qarabag in the next round.
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