Defeated 0-2 by Slavia Prague in its first preparation match, Olympique Lyonnais concluded its opening week at the Adidas campus in Herzogenaurach, Germany. The defeat snapped a three-game unbeaten streak and marks a challenging start to the pre-season for Paulo Fonseca’s side. The Gones, top seeds in their qualifying path with the continent’s highest UEFA coefficient (65.750), aim to progress through four rounds to reach the group stage.

A difficult path to the Champions League group stage

The road to the Champions League group stage has been particularly tough for French clubs in the past 13 seasons under the current qualifying format. Only two Ligue 1 sides have successfully navigated this path: AS Monaco in summer 2016 and Lille in 2024. Lyon’s own attempt in August 2013 ended in disappointment with a 0-2 aggregate loss to Real Sociedad.

Among the potential opponents, Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise stands out with the highest UEFA coefficient (48.000) of the five contenders. The Brussels-based club, crowned Belgian champions in 2025 and cup winners in 2026, narrowly missed out on last season’s Champions League last-16 after finishing 27th with nine points. Their recent campaign included a 2-3 defeat to Marseille in December, highlighting their competitiveness.

Union Saint-Gilloise’s preparation and key players

Union Saint-Gilloise has maintained a stable squad this summer, with goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen (2.04 m) and winger Anan Khalaili—whose transfer to Inter Milan collapsed due to failed medical tests—being notable exceptions. The Belgian side, training since June 24, has played three friendly matches, winning twice against Romanian club S. Bucarest (4-0 on July 7) and Danish side Aarhus (2-1). Their most recent outing ended in a 3-3 draw with PSV Eindhoven after 75 minutes, followed by a 0-4 defeat in additional time. Union will face Ostend in a closed-door friendly before hosting Lille in a closed-door match this coming Saturday, ahead of the Belgian Super Cup against Club Bruges on July 31.

Lyon could also face Sparta Prague, the Czech Republic’s runners-up with a UEFA coefficient of 38.250. Following Saturday’s aggressive 4-3-3 encounter against Slavia Prague, Paulo Fonseca described the Czech side as difficult to break down, noting their aggressive pressing and high foul count to disrupt Lyon’s rhythm.

Injuries and suspensions add to Lyon’s challenges. Malick Fofana (ankle) and Moussa Niakhaté (suspended for the first leg) are unavailable, while the team has conceded eight goals in four pre-season matches. A potential clash with NEC Nijmegen, third in the Dutch Eredivisie with a UEFA coefficient of 13.585, could test Lyon’s defensive resolve further. Alternatively, the winner of Sturm Graz vs Hearts may await, with the Austrian champions (26.000) facing the Scottish side in the second leg of their qualifier.