Olympique Lyonnais travels to Sparta Prague on Tuesday evening to kick off the French clubs’ European campaign in the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round. Here’s how to catch all the action live.
The Czech side, which finished as runners-up in the Czech Republic last season, reached the group stage in 2024 and advanced to the Europa Conference League round of 16 this year. Should either team be knocked out, they’ll drop into the Europa League for the 2026-27 season. Sparta Prague has struggled at this stage of the competition, losing four of its last five attempts here. The club’s history against French teams, particularly Olympique Lyonnais, is well documented: the Gones have dominated past meetings, securing five wins and one draw in six encounters. Notable results include a 5-0 thrashing in Lyon in 2005 and a 3-0 victory in the 2021 Europa League third qualifying round.
The stakes are higher this time around, as this is a straight knockout tie—though the rule change removing double-weighting for away goals simplifies the path to progression. Historically, Olympique Lyonnais has fared well against Czech opponents, boasting eight wins, two draws, and just two defeats. Loïs Openda, Lyon’s marquee summer signing from Juventus on a paid loan, has already netted seven goals in Champions League action and will be eager to guide his new team through to the playoff against Fenerbahçe or Sturm Graz.
Where to watch the match live?
The first leg unfolds at the epet ARENA on Tuesday, August 4, at 8:00 PM local time. Live commentary and updates will be available on sports.orange.fr, while the full match will be broadcast on Canal+.