Lyon vs Sparta Prague - prediction, team news, lineups

Lyon and Sparta Prague reason their Champions League third-round qualifying necktie with a clash astatine Groupama Stadium connected Tuesday evening.

Needing to overturn a constrictive shortage aft a 2-1 decision successful the archetypal leg, the hosts volition anticipation to capitalise connected location vantage and enactment themselves 180 minutes distant from a instrumentality to Europe’s grandest stage.

Match preview

After taking the pb successful fortuitous manner connected the changeable of fractional clip via a Martin Suchomel ain goal, Lyon looked acceptable to proceed their awesome grounds against Sparta earlier a quickfire treble from Matej Rynes and John Mercado turned the crippled connected its head.

As a result, Paulo Fonseca’s men person enactment to bash successful their archetypal location lucifer of the season, and nonaccomplishment to scope the UCL play-offs would dampen the temper up of their Ligue 1 opener against Toulouse aboriginal this month.

Aiming to effort a comeback successful their Champions League past for the seventh time, Les Gones person ne'er overturned a first-leg shortage successful the six erstwhile instances, whether it beryllium during the qualifiers oregon the tourney proper, highlighting the size of the task lying successful hold connected Tuesday.

Perhaps the lone affirmative from past week’s decision successful Prague was Lyon opening the scoring successful this fixture yet again, and the French giants volition request different affirmative commencement to get the location assemblage going and inject belief.

Tuesday’s hosts person not mislaid immoderate of their past 9 location matches successful this contention since 2016, though 7 of them person ended all-square; a repetition of that present would spot Lyon’s UCL aspirations extremity and nonstop them to the Europa League.

Off the backmost of six unsuccessful bites astatine the cherry, Sparta Prague yet managed to get 1 implicit connected Lyon and are present connected the verge of putting the last nail successful the coffin of their French counterparts’ Champions League hopes 22 years connected from losing some group-stage meetings successful 2004.

With 1 oculus connected their upcoming European assignment, Brian Priske rang the changes for Saturday’s Czech First League clash against Mlada Boleslav and suffered a 2-0 loss; whether that determination was justified is acceptable to beryllium seen soon.

Last weekend's decision was the Maroons’ 2nd from arsenic galore distant outings this season, with a combined people of 5-1. They cannot spend different mediocre showing connected the roadworthy if they are to marque their first-leg vantage number aft their efforts astatine Letna Hill.

Sparta person present gone six matches without a cleanable expanse for the archetypal clip since May 2025, a statistic that volition interest Priske up of Tuesday's decider.

Despite his broadside holding a constrictive advantage, the 49-year-old insists Sparta volition not beryllium sitting back, precocious stating that his squad "will request to person much of the shot and make much chances" to spot themselves implicit the enactment against a broadside who person beaten them successful each 3 erstwhile location meetings.

Lyon Champions League form:

Lyon signifier (all competitions):

Sparta Prague Champions League form:

Sparta Prague signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Khalis Merah remains sidelined with a sprained ankle and volition not diagnostic for Lyon, though the 19-year-old is nearing a instrumentality to action.

Mads Bistrup and Pavel Sulc volition besides miss retired arsenic they are sidelined with genu problems; the second is besides facing an uncertain aboriginal amid involvement from elsewhere.

Corentin Tolisso endured the agony of missing a important punishment successful Prague and volition beryllium anxious to marque amends here.

Midfielders Magnus Andersen and Patrik Vydra person not featured since past play and stay unavailable for Sparta, on with Jakub Martinec.

After a man-of-the-match show successful the archetypal leg, Matej Rynes proved a important attacking menace from left-back, making him 1 to ticker here.

Lyon imaginable starting lineup:

Greif; Kluivert, Tessmann, Mata; Ouedraogo, Carvalho, Morton, Maitland-Niles; Tolisso, Openda, Vinicius

Sparta Prague imaginable starting lineup:

Surovcik; Suchomel, Sevinsky, Sorensen, Rynes; Macek, Irving; Mercado, Karabec, Alcocer; Brunes

We say: Lyon 3-1 Sparta Prague

For Lyon, the task is simple: triumph oregon spell home, and the hosts volition request nary other information to rise their game.

With a packed Groupama Stadium down them, Lyon are backed to flooded their Czech opponents and acceptable up a play-off clash with either Fenerbahce oregon Sturm Graz.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.