Lyon host Sparta Praha needing to overturn first-leg deficit in Champions League qualifying
Lyon welcome Sparta Praha to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Tuesday for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie, with the French side needing to reverse the outcome of the first meeting to progress.
That first leg, played on 4 August, ended in a 2-1 win for Sparta Praha, giving the Czech club the advantage heading into the return fixture.
Form and history
Both sides arrive with matching recent form, each having won two and lost three of their last five matches, a symmetry that leaves little to separate them on results alone heading into the decisive leg.
The two clubs have met before in European competition, with Lyon winning both previous encounters in 2021 during a Europa League campaign, by scores of 3-0 and 4-3. Those results offer some historical encouragement for Lyon, though they came under different circumstances several seasons ago.
With the tie level on aggregate wins across the sides' recent matches but Sparta Praha holding the advantage from the first leg, Lyon will need a positive result at home to advance to the next round of qualifying.