Still reeling from their challenging European start last week in Prague, where a 2-1 loss was compounded by a missed penalty from Tolisso during the initial leg of the Champions League’s third qualifying round, Lyon finds itself in a precarious position for Tuesday’s showdown.

Playing on their home turf at Groupama Stadium, OL is under immense pressure to secure a victory. This win is essential for them to rekindle their aspirations of reaching the Champions League group stage, a feat they haven’t achieved since their memorable semi-final run against Bayern Munich in 2020. Should they triumph, the French giants are slated to confront Turkish club Fenerbahçe, who have already established a strong advantage in their own play-off qualification match against Sturm Graz.

Kick-off time for the OL-Sparta Prague return leg

Paulo Fonseca’s squad might benefit from a significant advantage: Sparta Prague recently played their third league match this Saturday, suffering a 3-1 defeat against Mlada Boleslav. This demanding schedule could potentially impact their physical readiness for the crucial European clash.

Reports suggest that Paulo Fonseca is expected to field his potent attacking trio of Fofana, Openda, and Nuamah, with Moussa Niakhaté potentially returning to a four-man defensive line. The decisive match is scheduled to kick off at 21h (9:00 PM CET) at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium.

Television channels broadcasting the OL-Sparta Prague return leg

Football enthusiasts can tune in to watch the live broadcast of this pivotal encounter on Canal+ and Canal+ Foot, the dedicated channels for this competition.