Lyon overturn first-leg deficit to beat Sparta Prague 3-0 and reach Champions League playoff round against Fenerbahçe
Olympique Lyonnais beat Sparta Prague 3-0 at the Groupama Stadium on 11 August to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit and reach the Champions League playoff round, where Fenerbahçe await.
Overturning the deficit
Olympique Lyonnais reached the Champions League playoff round by beating Sparta Prague 3-0 at the Groupama Stadium on Tuesday 11 August, reversing a 2-1 first-leg defeat in the Czech Republic the previous week. The 4-2 aggregate win sends Paulo Fonseca's side into a two-legged playoff against Turkish club Fenerbahçe, with the first leg in Istanbul on 18 August and the return leg at home on 26 August. Fenerbahçe reached the same stage by eliminating Sturm Graz with a 2-0 first-leg win and a 1-0 second-leg victory.
Match action
Ernest Nuamah opened the scoring in the 20th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Sparta goalkeeper Jakub Surovcik parried a long-range Corentin Tolisso strike. The goal levelled the tie on aggregate and rewarded Lyon's aggressive high pressing, a contrast to the passivity of the first leg. Sparta Prague were reduced to ten men in the 34th minute when central defender Adam Sevinsky was sent off for a foul on Loïs Openda, who had broken through on goal. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the visitors reorganised into a defensive block after the break, forcing Lyon to probe for openings.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles broke the resistance in the 66th minute, finishing a flowing team move initiated and assisted by captain Corentin Tolisso. Tyler Morton then sealed the result with a fine strike, timed at the 72nd minute by most sources and the 73rd by Franceinfo.
- Lyon lose 2-1 in Czech Republic
- Second leg kicks off at Groupama Stadium with Lyon trailing on aggregate
- Ernest Nuamah scores to level the tie on aggregate
- Adam Sevinsky sent off for fouling Loïs Openda, Sparta down to ten
- Ainsley Maitland-Niles finishes a team move set up by Corentin Tolisso
- Tyler Morton scores Lyon's third to seal the tie
- Playoff first leg away at Fenerbahçe in Istanbul
- Playoff second leg at home against Fenerbahçe
Key returns from injury
Lyon benefited from three significant returns to the starting lineup. Nuamah made his first start since March 2025 after recovering from a cruciate ligament rupture suffered 16 months earlier. Malick Fofana returned from a serious ankle injury sustained in October 2025, and defender Moussa Niakhaté came back after appearing at the World Cup with Senegal. Fonseca also reverted to a 4-3-3 formation after the experimental 5-3-2 used in the first leg. New signing Loïs Openda, described as a fresh recruit, constantly threatened with runs in behind the defence and won the red card that shifted the match.
Fenerbahçe await
The playoff round pits Lyon against a Fenerbahçe side featuring two French internationals, N'Golo Kanté and Mattéo Guendouzi, plus former Marseille forward Mason Greenwood. The winner of the two-legged tie on 18 and 26 August secures a place in the Champions League group stage.
