- Lyon are the slight favourites at 19/20, but there is still plenty of value in the draw (13/5) and in Sparta Praha's price (29/10).
- Sparta Praha are unbeaten at home in all competitions (Won 3, drawn 1), averaging 1.75 goals for and 0.50 against.
- Olympique Lyonnais have won four of their last five matches and have won each of their last four.
A tight match is on the cards at epet Arena
AC Sparta Praha and Olympique Lyonnais are both in reasonable form, but the French side have a bit more momentum and a more settled squad as we move into the 2026 edition of UEFA Champions League qualification.
Lyon have won their last three competitive matches - a 6-3 win at home to St. Gallen, a 2-1 win at home to Servette and a 2-0 victory away to Wolfsburg - which suggests they have the momentum and the attacking momentum to outscore their opponents on Tuesday.
Lyon's Remi Himbert has scored six of their 13 goals across the last five games, which suggests the visitors will be ruthless in the final third and they should have enough to edge out a Sparta side who are still trying to find their identity under Brian Priske, who has been in charge since 1 July 2025.
Two familiar sides could be hard to split
Sparta have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five in all competitions, so they're decent rather than great at this moment in time and they have lost their last two - 5-1 away to FC Nordsjaelland and 3-1 away to Zbrojovka Brno - which is a concern for the back line.
John Mercado has been Sparta's main threat up front with three goals in the team's last five, so he is likely to be the focus of attention from Lyon when on the ball and the pace of Mercado's movement will be key for the hosts on Tuesday.
Paulo Fonseca has had the reins of Lyon since 31 January 2025 and has got the team settled in a high-tempo system with a number ten who runs all over the pitch and high-flying full backs.
Lyon can win, but Sparta will score
We feel the one with a sharper edge right now will come out on top, so we're backing Lyon to win, albeit by a narrow margin.
Sparta's good record at home in all competitions, however, suggests this will be a proper fixture and the hosts can definitely grab a goal on the counter-attack. But Lyon's pressing and tempo control should dominate the rhythm of the game, so it's worth taking both teams to score (BTTS) and over 2.5 goals.
