Lyon launch Champions League bid at Sparta Prague with Openda in squad after rocky pre-season

A premature return to competition

Olympique Lyonnais resume competitive football earlier than any other Ligue 1 side, forced into action by a fourth-place finish last season that left them outside the automatic Champions League places. The third qualifying round first leg away to Sparta Prague on Tuesday evening (20:00 CEST) is the first of four potential matches standing between OL and the group stage. Paulo Fonseca's squad returned to training on 29 June, while most domestic rivals were still on holiday, and have since played six friendlies with mixed results.

Pre-season form and the Betis warning

OL's preparation produced four wins and two defeats, with 15 goals scored and 12 conceded. Victories over Mâcon 71 (5-2), Saint-Gall (6-3), Servette FC (2-1) and Wolfsburg (2-0) were offset by a 2-0 loss to Slavia Prague and a heavy 4-0 defeat by Real Betis on 29 July. The Betis result exposed fragility at set-pieces and prompted Fonseca to acknowledge the shortcomings.

We lacked energy and aggressiveness. Sometimes results are negative but they bring positive things for the team. This will keep our feet on the ground.

Young forward Rémi Himbert, who scored a hat-trick against both Mâcon and Saint-Gall, has been a bright spot, while Corentin Tolisso netted twice against Servette. But the Betis loss left what Fonseca later described as "negative sensations" heading into the competitive fixtures.

Openda arrives as the attacking solution

Lyon's most significant summer move is the loan signing of Belgian striker Loïs Openda from Juventus, where he endured a difficult season. Openda joined collective training only on 31 July but has been included in the travelling squad for Prague. Sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean underlined the urgency of the deal.

We are very satisfied with his arrival. Our priority was to recruit a centre-forward.

Fonseca added that the club's young attackers "are not yet ready to play a match of such importance for us," a judgment reinforced by the Betis performance. Openda's ability to integrate quickly could be decisive for an attack that lost Endrick (end of loan from Real Madrid) and sold Afonso Moreira to Bayer Leverkusen for €29.5 million, a transfer driven by the club's economic pressures.

The road to the group stage

Should Lyon overcome Sparta Prague over two legs (return on 11 August at Groupama Stadium), they will face the winner of Fenerbahçe versus Sturm Graz in the playoff round. That tie would be played on 18 or 19 August away and 25 or 26 August at home. The financial reward for reaching the league phase is substantial for a club that has had to sell assets to balance its books.

Sparta Prague will be without their top scorer Pavel Sulc, who scored 14 goals in 38 appearances last season but is injured and also the subject of transfer speculation. OL, meanwhile, are still integrating recent arrivals Julien Duranville (from Dortmund) and Khaïl Boudache (ex-Nice), while Malick Fofana and Ernest Nuamah continue to build fitness after long injury layoffs.

Monaco's parallel European path

While OL chase the Champions League, AS Monaco are preparing for a Conference League playoff after finishing seventh in Ligue 1 and benefiting from Lens's Coupe de France victory. The draw on 3 August paired them with the loser of the Europa League third qualifying round tie between Ferencvaros (Hungary) and Gornik Zabrze (Poland), to be played on 5 and 13 August. Monaco's playoff matches are scheduled for 20 and 27 August, bookending the Ligue 1 season opener on 23 August.