Lyon to learn Champions League third qualifying round opponent on Monday

Olympique Lyonnais will learn their third qualifying round opponent for the Champions League this afternoon, following a 2-0 preseason defeat to Slavia Prague on Saturday at the Adidas campus in Herzogenaurach, Germany, where they are conducting a week-long training camp.

The first leg is scheduled for August 4 or 5, with the return leg on August 11.

Seeded Status and Road Ahead

As a seeded team in the league path, Lyon hold the best UEFA coefficient (65.750) among potential opponents. The path requires four matches to reach the Champions League league phase — the third round followed by a two-legged playoff on August 18-19 and 25-26, should they advance.

Historical Challenge

The road has proven difficult for Ligue 1 sides since UEFA introduced this format thirteen seasons ago:

• Only two French clubs have successfully navigated the third round and playoffs: Monaco (summer 2016) and Lille (2024)
• Lyon fell short in August 2013, losing their playoff against Antoine Griezmann's Real Sociedad (0-2, 0-2)

Potential Opponents

Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium) — Coefficient: 48,000

Considered one of the toughest possible draws, Union Saint-Gilloise are directly qualified for the third round. The Brussels side:

• Won the Belgian league in 2025 and the Cup in 2026
• Finished runners-up to Club Brugge last season
• Failed twice in preliminary rounds but experienced the Champions League last season
• Lost to Marseille (2-3 on December 9) and missed the round of 16 on goal difference (27th with 9 points)

Union play a defensive 5-3-2 formation. Their squad is relatively stable, though:

• Tall Dutch goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen (2.04m) is reportedly departing
• Right winger Anan Khalaili is resting after his transfer to Inter Milan (€32M including bonuses, a club record) collapsed due to unsatisfactory cardiac tests

The Belgians have been preparing since June 24, playing three friendlies:

• Wins against Romania's S. București (4-0, July 7) and Denmark's Aarhus (2-1)
• Loss to Netherlands' PSV Eindhoven on Saturday (3-3 after two 75-minute halves, then 0-4)

They will play a friendly in Ostend and a closed-door match against LOSC next Saturday, before the Belgian Super Cup against Club Brugge on July 31.

Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) — Coefficient: 38,250

The second-placed team from the Czech league could also face Lyon. Coach Paulo Fonseca described Slavia Prague — Sparta's city rivals — as "an aggressive team, with man-marking" against which it is "difficult to attack because" they commit "a lot of fouls to stop us."

NEC Nijmegen (Netherlands) — Coefficient: 13,585

Third in the last Eredivisie season and directly qualified for the third round.

Sturm Graz (Austria) or Heart of Midlothian (Scotland)

Lyon could also face the winner of the second-round tie between:

• Sturm Graz (coefficient 26,000), Austria's 2025 champions
• Heart of Midlothian (coefficient 13,585), runners-up in the 2025-2026 Scottish league

The first leg takes place tomorrow in Austria, with the return leg in Scotland on July 28.

Lyon's Preseason Concerns

Without Malick Fofana (ankle) and Moussa Niakhaté (suspended for the third-round first leg), Lyon have conceded eight goals in four preseason matches — an area requiring urgent improvement.