Olympique Lyonnais will face Sparta Prague on Tuesday evening in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, kicking off France’s European campaign. Here’s how to watch the match live.
Lyon, fresh from finishing as runners-up in Ligue 1, travel to the ePET ARENA in Prague with ambitions of advancing past this early stage. While Sparta Prague secured a fourth-place finish in the Czech First League last season, their European history shows inconsistency at this level. The Czech club reached the group stages in 2024 but was eliminated in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa Conference League this year. Should either team fall short, they’ll drop into the UEFA Europa League for the 2026-2027 season.
Sparta Prague has struggled in these early rounds, losing four of their last five attempts to progress. Their head-to-head record against French clubs also paints a challenging picture: two wins, three draws, and eleven defeats. Olympique Lyonnais, however, holds a strong advantage historically against Czech opponents, with eight victories, two draws, and just two losses.
Past encounters between these two sides have heavily favored Lyon. In the 2005 group stages, Lyon won 5-0 at home after a narrow 2-1 victory in Prague. They repeated the feat in the 2012 Europa League group stages with a 2-1 win in Lyon and a 1-1 draw in Prague. More recently, in the 2021 Europa Conference League, Lyon secured a 3-0 home victory and a 3-4 away loss. This time, the stakes are higher as it’s a knockout tie—though the away goals rule no longer applies.
Loïs Openda, Lyon’s headline signing from Juventus on a paid loan, arrives with seven goals already to his name in this Champions League campaign. His task is clear: guide his new team through to the final playoff round against either Fenerbahçe or Sturm Graz.
How to watch the match live
The first leg unfolds on Tuesday, August 4, at 20:00 CET at the ePET ARENA in Prague. French fans can tune in for live commentary and coverage on sports.orange.fr. Alternatively, the match will be broadcast on Canal+.
