Football: Sparta, Plzeň earn wins in Europa League

Czech football club Sparta Prague scored three first-half goals against visitors Hapoel Kiryat Shmona on Thursday with the Israeli side earning only a consolation goal in the second. Ladislav Krejčí and Václav Kadlec put Sparta up by two in the opening ten minutes and Ondřej Švejdík headed in a third before the break. Shimon Abuhazira got the Israeli club’s lone goal. Sparta are in second place in Group I, behind Olympique Lyonnais. In other Europa League action, Viktoria Plzeň earned a 2:1 win against Tel Aviv, who were down to 10 men. After three games, Plzeň are in good shape in Group B, in second place behind Atletico Madrid.