Olympique Lyonnais kicks off their 2026-2027 UEFA Champions League campaign on Tuesday evening with an away fixture against Sparta Prague in the third qualifying round first leg. Here’s how to catch all the action live in France.
Both clubs face high stakes: a loss or a draw that favors the Czech side could send the losing team into the UEFA Europa League group stage. Sparta Prague, runners-up in the Czech First League last season, reached the Champions League group stage in 2024 and advanced to the UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 this year. The Czech giants have struggled in this round historically, falling short in four of their last five attempts. Their head-to-head record against French clubs is particularly telling—two wins, three draws, and eleven losses—while Lyon boasts a strong record with eight wins, two draws, and just two losses against Czech opponents.
Lyon’s new star signing, Loïs Openda—on a season-long loan from Juventus—has already netted seven goals in the Champions League and will be crucial in securing a positive result in Prague. The French side’s past meetings with Sparta Prague have been lopsided in their favor: victories in 2005 (2-1 and 5-0), 2012 (2-1 and 1-1), and 2021 (4-3 and 3-0) underline their dominance. However, the absence of away goals this season means every goal counts even more.
Where and when to watch the match
The match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, at 8:00 PM CET at the epet ARENA in Prague. French viewers can stream the game live with commentary on sports.orange.fr or tune in to Canal+ for television coverage.
