Last season, Olympique Lyonnais secured a commendable 4th place finish in Ligue 1, a result that earned them a spot in the Champions League preliminary rounds. The French club now stands just two rounds away from rejoining the prestigious C1 group stage, a phase they haven’t experienced since 2020. This presents a substantial challenge, especially given their somewhat sluggish pre-season preparations, which culminated in a notable 4-0 defeat against Real Betis in their final warm-up fixture.

Meanwhile, Sparta Prague has already commenced their domestic campaign, with two rounds of the Chance Liga completed. As last season’s vice-champions, finishing behind rivals Slavia Prague, the Czech side has shown mixed results early in the current season, recording both a 1-3 loss to Brno and a 3-1 victory over Zlin. Under the guidance of Brian Priske, the Prague-based club previously demonstrated their European pedigree in the 2025-2026 season by successfully navigating the C1 group stage qualifiers, overcoming teams like Shamrock Rovers, Steaua Bucharest, and Malmö.