After a narrow 2-1 defeat in the first leg, Lyon finds itself in a difficult situation: to advance to the next round, the French team must win by at least two goals. This will force the hosts to be extremely aggressive from the outset, giving their opponents virtually no breathing space. The home support at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais will be an additional factor, and their head-to-head record favors the Weavers: in their three home matches against Sparta, they have won all three, scoring 10 goals and conceding only one.
Sparta Prague has been far from flawless on the road this season: defeats to Brno and Mladá Boleslav in the league highlight the vulnerability of their defensive defense on the road. Lars Friis's side will certainly try to counterattack, but with Lyon constantly pressing, it's unlikely the visitors will be able to withstand the onslaught for the full 90 minutes. The depth of the squad and the individual skill of the hosts' attacking players should play a role.
