Lyon faces prague in champions league playoff opener

Olympique Lyonnais kicks off their 2024 Champions League campaign with high stakes on Tuesday evening. Fresh off securing fourth place in Ligue 1 last May, the Lyon squad must navigate at least two rounds of qualifiers to secure a spot in Europe’s premier club competition. A setback in the initial tie against Sparta Prague would still grant them a consolation spot in the Europa League, but the stakes remain high for Paulo Fonseca’s side.

The Groupama Stadium faithful won’t witness the full strength of the squad this week. Suspensions have sidelined Moussa Niakhaté and Nicolas Tagliafico, while injuries to Khalis Merah and Pavel Sulc further deplete the roster. Additionally, Felix Bacher, the club’s seventh summer signing, remains ineligible to play. The attacking lineup could feature promising young talent like Julien Duranville, the Belgian winger recruited from Borussia Dortmund for €5 million, alongside Abner—repositioned from left-back to right—and Loïs Openda, the striker on loan from Juventus. Malick Fofana, Ernest Nuamah, and Rémi Himbert are expected to start from the bench.

Projected starting XI for Lyon (per latest reports): Greif – Mata, Tessmann, Kluivert, Ouédraogo – Morton, De Carvalho, Tolisso – Abner, Openda, Duranville.

Where to watch the clash in Prague

Sparta Prague, the Czech league’s runner-up, will host the match at the 18,349-capacity epet Arena. Adam Karabec, the attacking midfielder who spent last season on loan at Lyon, will spearhead their attack, while Jonatan Braut Brunes—cousin of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland—takes up the striker’s role.

Should Lyon advance past Sparta Prague, their next challenge awaits in the playoff round, where they could face either Fenerbahçe or Sturm Graz, as determined by Monday’s draw.

French football fans can catch the first leg live on Canal+. The return fixture is scheduled for next Tuesday at 19:00, also exclusively on the premium pay-TV channel. All second-leg matches of the Champions League’s third qualifying round are set for Tuesday, aligning with the Super Cup clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa—another fixture airing on Canal+ the following Wednesday.