2026-2027 Champions League: Slavia Prague vs. Lens—Probable Lineups

It may not be the highlight of the first matchday of the Champions League group stage, but the match between Slavia Prague and Lens offers more than one point of interest, starting with the importance of the points at stake for two teams that, realistically, are aiming to finish among the top 24 in the standings—well aware that a single point more or less, or even a one-goal difference in the final tally, could prove decisive by the end of January.

Slavia hasn’t won a match in the Champions League group stage since way back in 2007, when it secured its only victory in its group against Steaua Bucharest. In front of the home crowd at Fortuna Arena, this is a golden opportunity: the team’s morale is high, coming off an unbeaten start to the season as the defending champions in the Czech Republic, while tonight’s opponent is coming off two straight losses in Ligue 1 and seems a far cry from the team that nearly pulled off an upset against PSG in the league.

Lens, in fact, had gotten off to the best possible start by beating the Parisians 1-0 in the French Super Cup and crushing Auxerre in their league opener with a decisive 5-2 victory. Then, however, came a slump, with two narrow losses (2-1 in Strasbourg, 1-0 at home to Lorient) that have raised more than a few questions about the mental and physical resilience of the team coached by Dino Toppmöller. The Champions League match will be crucial to averting a crisis that would have been unimaginable just two weeks ago.

Probable Lineups

SLVIA PRAGUE (3-4-3): Markovic; Chaloupek, N’Guessan, Zima; Isife, Sadilek, Nowak, Jurasek; Ayaosi, Chytil, Sturm. Coach: Tripsovsky.

LENS (3-4-2-1): Risser; Todibo, Ganiou, Antonio; Aguilar, Haidara, Cuisance, Skoras; Thauvin, Hazard; Sima. Coach: Toppmöller.