Lyon suffered a 2-1 defeat against Sparta Prague in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Despite taking an early lead against the run of play, the French side lost control in the second half.
The turning point came after the 60th minute. Matej Rynes equalized for Sparta, and just minutes later, Corentin Tolisso missed a penalty by shooting over the bar. Sparta quickly punished Lyon for the miss: Rynes set up John Mercado, who scored the winning goal for the Czech team. Paulo Fonseca’s squad now faces the challenge of overturning the deficit in the home leg on August 11.
2026-27, Champions League
Sparta Prague 2–1 Lyon (0–1 at half-time)
Goals: Sukhomel 45 (own goal) (0–1); Rynes 63 (1–1); Mercado 69 (2–1)
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