How to watch sparta prague vs olympique lyonnais in champions league qualifiers

Champions league third qualifying round first leg: sparta prague vs olympique lyonnais

Olympique Lyonnais kicks off France’s European campaign on Tuesday evening as they travel to Sparta Prague for the first leg of the third qualifying round in the UEFA Champions League. The Rhône-Alpes side will be aiming to secure a strong start to their 2026-2027 continental journey, with both clubs aware that a slip-up could send them tumbling into the UEFA Europa League instead.

Sparta Prague, runners-up in the Czech First League last season, have a mixed recent history in European competitions. While they reached the group stage in 2024, they were eliminated in the Europa Conference League round of 16 this year. Their record in the third qualifying round has been particularly underwhelming, with four losses in their past five attempts at this stage. Historically, Olympique Lyonnais has had the upper hand in past meetings, with five wins and one draw across three prior encounters:

• 2005 Champions League group stage: 1-2 in Prague, 5-0 in Lyon
• 2012 Europa League group stage: 2-1 in Lyon, 1-1 in Prague
• 2021 Europa League knockout rounds: 3-4 in Prague, 3-0 in Lyon

This time, the stakes are higher as the tie is a straight knockout, though the abolition of the away goals rule means every goal will carry equal weight. Sparta Prague’s overall record against French clubs is modest—two wins, three draws, and eleven defeats—while Olympique Lyonnais boasts a far stronger head-to-head, with eight victories, two draws, and just two losses against Czech opponents. The French side’s new star signing, Loïs Openda—on a season-long loan from Juventus—has already netted seven times in the Champions League and will be eager to guide his team past this hurdle and into the final playoff round against the likes of Fenerbahçe or Sturm Graz.

Where to watch the match live

The clash at the epet ARENA is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4th, at 8:00 PM local time. Fans can catch the live commentary and full coverage on sports.orange.fr. For those preferring a traditional broadcast, the match will also be available on Canal+.