Lyon 3-0 Sparta Prague: Nuamah, Maitland-Niles & Morton send OL to Fenerbahce play-off (highlights)

Lyon produced a stunning second-leg comeback to dismantle Sparta Prague 3-0 at the Groupama Stadium on August 11, 2026, overturning a 2-1 first-leg deficit to secure a 4-2 aggregate victory and book a Champions League play-off showdown with Fenerbahce. The French side, who had been below par in the first leg, started with renewed intensity and took the lead in the 20th minute when captain Corentin Tolisso's fierce long-range strike was parried by goalkeeper Jakub Surovcik, allowing Ernest Nuamah to pounce on the rebound and score his first goal for Lyon in 17 months. The game swung decisively in Lyon's favour in the 34th minute when Sparta defender Adam Sevinsky was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Lois Openda, who was clean through on goal, reducing the visitors to ten men. Lyon made their numerical advantage count after the break, with Tolisso providing a low cross that Ainsley Maitland-Niles slid in at the back post to double the lead in the 66th minute, putting Lyon ahead on aggregate for the first time in the tie. The rout was completed in the 72nd minute when midfielder Tyler Morton curled a magnificent strike into the top-left corner, leaving Surovcik with no chance and sending the home crowd into raptures. The statistics underlined Lyon's dominance: they fired off 19 shots with 11 on target, accumulated 2.75 expected goals, and had 26 touches inside Sparta's box, while Nuamah completed four of his seven dribbles and won 10 of his 17 duels. Sparta, reduced to nine men in the final stages after no further dismissals, managed just one significant chance through Santiago Eneme, which was saved by Dominik Greif. Lyon will now face Turkish giants Fenerbahce in the play-off round, with the first leg in Istanbul on August 18 and the return leg at the Groupama Stadium on August 26, as Paulo Fonseca's men move within touching distance of the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2020.