Sparta Prague vs Lyon - prediction, team news, lineups

Sparta Prague and Lyon volition look to instrumentality a important measurement towards the Champions League playoffs erstwhile they statesman their third-round necktie astatine Letna Stadium connected Tuesday.

Both teams received byes for the erstwhile 2 qualifying rounds and are present conscionable 4 games distant from securing a spot successful adjacent season's variation of Europe's premier nine competition.

Match preview

After 7 Champions League appearances successful 9 years from 1997-98 to 2005-06, Sparta Prague were absent from the large signifier for 18 years earlier returning successful the 2024-25 edition, wherever they exited successful the League Phase aft managing conscionable 4 points from 8 outings.

Brian Priske's broadside had to settee for Conference League shot past season, but aft finishing 2nd successful the Czech First League down metropolis rivals Slavia Prague, they present person a changeable astatine making it 2 Champions League appearances successful 3 seasons.

The Maroons bounced backmost from a 3-1 decision to Zbrojovka Brno successful their league opener connected July 25 by beating Zlin 3-1 connected Friday - a effect that has undoubtedly lifted the temper successful the dressing country up of Tuesday's continental clash.

However, Sparta's grounds against Lyon makes for grim reading: the Czech broadside are winless successful six erstwhile meetings, 5 of which ended successful defeat, including some encounters successful the 2021-22 Europa League radical stages.

Nonetheless, Tuesday's hosts volition slope connected their beardown location form, having present gone six competitory location matches unbeaten (W5, D1) portion scoring 12 goals and conceding conscionable three.

Lyon sat 3rd successful Ligue 1 heading into the penultimate matchday past play and looked poised to unafraid an automatic Champions League instrumentality earlier defeats successful their last 2 games saw them gaffe to fourth, resulting successful their information successful the qualifiers.

Paulo Fonseca's men person not featured successful the Champions League since bowing retired to eventual winners Bayern Munich successful 2020 and volition consciousness a instrumentality is overdue aft coming agonisingly adjacent successful caller seasons.

After kicking disconnected pre-season with 3 consecutive wins, Les Gones mislaid 2 of their last 3 warm-up matches, astir precocious suffering a 4-0 decision to La Liga broadside Real Betis connected Wednesday evening.

Consequently, Lyon question to Prague for their archetypal competitory lucifer of 2026-27 successful mediocre form, knowing that a triumph would supply a much-needed boost up of some the instrumentality limb astatine the Groupama Stadium adjacent week and the commencement of their Ligue 1 run aboriginal this month.

Tuesday’s visitors person not mislaid the archetypal limb of a two-legged European necktie successful immoderate of their past nine, dating backmost to May 2017 erstwhile they were beaten 4-1 by Ajax successful the Europa League semi-finals, rendering their 3-1 second-leg triumph inconsequential.

Sparta Prague signifier (all competitions):

Lyon friendlies form:

Team News

Ondrej Penxa and Magnus Andersen are some ruled retired for Sparta Prague owed to genu injuries, portion Elias Cobbaut and Emmanuel Uchenna stay sidelined with groin problems.

The hosts are besides without Peter Vindahl, Patrik Vydra, Sivert Mannsversk, and Jakub Martinec.

Roman Macek is simply a doubt, having lone conscionable joined from Mlada Boleslav, but Ebrima Singhateh is disposable aft missing the past 2 matches owed to suspension.

Fresh from completing a indebtedness determination from Juventus, Lois Openda is expected to beryllium handed the accidental to marque an contiguous interaction for his caller nine arsenic they hole to bid farewell to Pavel Sulc aft a phenomenal 2025-26 campaign.

Tanner Tessmann, Orel Mangala, Nicolas Tagliafico, and Ernest Nuamah are besides facing uncertain futures with the visitors, who indispensable navigate ongoing fiscal constraints.

Sparta Prague imaginable starting lineup:

Surovcik; Mercado, Sorensen, Sevinsky, Suchomel; Irving, Sochurek; Alcocer, Karabec, Haraslin; Brunes

Lyon imaginable starting lineup:

Greif; Ouedraogo, Kluivert, Mata, Maitland-Niles; Tolisso, Morton, Tessmann; Duranville, Himbert, Boudache

We say: Sparta Prague 1-2 Lyon

Having already returned to competitory action, Sparta Prague could person a flimsy carnal borderline implicit Lyon, but the visitors inactive boast a superior squad.

We expect Lyon to borderline a constrictive triumph connected Tuesday, putting themselves successful rod presumption to beforehand adjacent week.

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