Champions League qualifying: Lyon geared up to overturn first-leg deficit

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When to bet on Champions League qualifying

From 4pm Tuesday

Best bets

Lyon to qualify vs Sparta Prague
8pm Tuesday
2pts 4-6 bet365

Sabah Baku to beat Aarhus
5pm Tuesday
1pt 21-20 Coral

Tuesday's Champions League qualifying predictions

Lyon let a first-half lead slip to lose 2-1 at Sparta Prague in the first leg of their Champions League third-round qualifier – but the French powerhouses can turn things around at the Groupama Stadium.

Les Gones were below their best in the Czech capital, where Corentin Tolisso missed a penalty between two goals in six second-half minutes for Sparta, but that was their first competitive outing for the season so improvement can be expected.

Paulo Fonseca’s side showed their capabilities with a fourth-place finish in Ligue 1 last season while they also won seven of their eight games to top the league phase of the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Sparta crashed out in the round of 16 in the Conference League and they have suffered defeats in their opening two away games in the Czech top flight, going down 3-1 at Brno and 2-0 at Mlada Bolesav.

That suggests a daunting trip to France awaits and Lyon, who should be fitter following last week’s encounter, can keep alive their hopes of setting up a first Champions League campaign since they made the semi-final in 2019-20. 

Sabah Baku also trail 2-1 in their third-round qualifier with Aarhus and they can avenge that defeat in Denmark with victory in Azerbaijan.

Aarhus pulled off a minor miracle in the second round of qualifying, overcoming a 4-1 first-leg deficit to stun Lech in Poznan, but they were able to play with the shackles off and are likely to be more cautious in their approach in Masazir.

But Sabah Baku had 56 per cent possession and won the shot count 15-10 at Cepheus Park and their performances in the first two qualifying rounds suggest those stats could be more exaggerated on home soil.

Valdas Dambrauskas’s side outclassed The New Saints 4-1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round and in their 2-0 win at home they had 75 per cent of the ball, 14 shots and 11 corners.

In the second qualifying round, Sabah Baku beat Finnish league leaders KuPS home and away, dominating the shot count 18 to five in a 1-0 success on their own patch.

Sabah Baku have lost only two of their last 21 matches on home turf and a trip to Azerbaijan is no easy demand for the Danes given the huge distance they have to travel.

There is one fixture taking place in the Europa League as Larne head to Tbilisi to face Iberia 1999. But the Northern Irish outfit may feel that they missed their opportunity after last week’s goalless draw at home and they are 12-5 to qualify.

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