Olympique Lyonnais set to discover Champions League third qualifying round opponent on Monday
Olympique Lyonnais will learn this Monday at noon the identity of their opponent for the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Potential adversaries include Union Saint-Gilloise, Sparta Prague, NEC Nijmegen, or the winner of the Sturm Graz-Hearts clash.
Defeated by Slavia Prague (0-2) in their opening preparation match, the first loss of their pre-season tour, Olympique Lyonnais will discover their third qualifying round opponent at midday on Monday. The two-legged tie is scheduled for August 4 or 5 (away) and August 11 (home). As seeded teams, Les Gones boast the highest UEFA coefficient (65.750) in this qualifying path, a ranking that should guide them through four matches towards the Champions League group stage.
A challenging path for Lyon in recent years
Historically, the third qualifying round plus playoffs format has proven treacherous for French clubs. Only two Ligue 1 teams have successfully navigated this route in the past thirteen seasons: Monaco in summer 2016 and Lille in 2024. Lyon themselves fell short in August 2013, losing their playoff against Real Sociedad, featuring Antoine Griezmann (0-2, 0-2).
Among the potential opponents, Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise stands out with the highest UEFA coefficient (48.000) of the five possibilities. The Brussels-based club, crowned Belgian champions in 2025 and cup winners in 2026, narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification last season despite finishing as runners-up to Club Bruges. Their European campaign ended in dramatic fashion, with a narrow miss on goal difference after two draws against Marseille (2-3 on December 9), leaving them in 27th place with nine points.
Union Saint-Gilloise: a defensive but ambitious side
Managed by a stable squad with few changes, Union Saint-Gilloise is primarily set up in a 5-3-2 formation. Key absences include Dutch goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen (2.04m), rumored to be departing, and right winger Anan Khalaili, who missed recent fixtures due to an aborted transfer to Inter Milan (€32 million including bonuses, a club record) following unsatisfactory cardiac tests. The Belgians have been in preparation since June 24, recording two wins in three friendlies: a 4-0 victory over Romanian side S. Bucarest (July 7) and a 2-1 win against Danish outfit Aarhus. Their most recent outing ended in a 3-3 draw with PSV Eindhoven (over two 75-minute halves) before a 0-4 reversal in the final minutes.
Les Gones could also face Czech champions Sparta Prague (UEFA coefficient: 38.250). Paulo Fonseca’s side, defeated 2-0 by Slavia Prague on Saturday in Herzogenaurach, Germany, will need to adapt their tactics. «It’s an aggressive team with man-to-man marking,» Fonseca noted, «making attacking difficult as they commit many fouls to stop us.»
Another potential hurdle is Dutch side NEC Nijmegen (UEFA coefficient: 13.585), who finished third in their domestic league and qualified directly for this round. Finally, Lyon could be drawn against the winner of the Austrian champions Sturm Graz (UEFA coefficient: 26.000) and Scottish side Heart of Midlothian, who finished second in the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership. The first leg in Austria takes place tomorrow, with the return fixture in Scotland on July 28.
