Olympique Lyonnais awaits third qualifying round opponent announcement
Olympique Lyonnais will discover its third qualifying round UEFA Champions League opponent this Monday. The potential adversaries include Union Saint-Gilloise, Sparta Prague, NEC Nijmegen, or the winner of Sturm Graz-Hearts.
Defeated 0-2 by Slavia Prague on Saturday in their first preparatory match, the Olympique Lyonnais squad began a week-long training camp in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Their preparation stage suffered an unexpected setback after three consecutive victories. The Gones, top seeds in this path, boast the highest UEFA coefficient (65.750) among potential opponents. Their journey through this qualifying route could lead them to the group stage after four matches (a two-legged playoff to be played on August 18-19 and 25-26 if they advance past the third round).
A challenging path through history
Recent history shows that this path is fraught with difficulties. Since the current format (third round + playoffs) was introduced by UEFA, only two Ligue 1 teams have successfully navigated it: Monaco in summer 2016 and Lille in 2024. Lyon themselves fell short in August 2013, losing their playoff against Real Sociedad and Antoine Griezmann’s side (0-2, 0-2).
Potential opponents: strengths and weaknesses
Among the potential adversaries, Union Saint-Gilloise stands out with the highest UEFA coefficient (48,000) of the five possible opponents. The Belgian champions in 2025 and cup winners in 2026, they narrowly missed the Champions League knockout stages last season after finishing 27th with nine points. Their defensive 5-3-2 formation and stable squad—aside from goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen’s expected departure and winger Anan Khalaili’s temporary absence—make them a formidable opponent.
Sparta Prague, with a UEFA coefficient of 38.250, presents another challenge. Lyon’s experience against their aggressive pressing style, as seen in their 4-3 defeat to Slavia Prague, could prove decisive. Paulo Fonseca highlighted the difficulty of breaking down such defensive structures, noting that Sparta’s aggressive approach often leads to numerous fouls.
NEC Nijmegen, with a coefficient of 13.585, represents a less daunting obstacle. The Dutch side finished third in their domestic league and secured direct qualification for this round. Meanwhile, the winner of the Sturm Graz-Hearts tie awaits, with the Austrian champions (26,000) facing the Scottish side in a two-legged playoff.
