Lausanne vs Olomouc – News and Probable Lineups

This Thursday, Lausanne Sport will host Sigma Olomouc at the Stade de la Tuiliere for the second leg of their Conference League knockout phase playoff tie.

The two teams played to a 1-1 deadlock in the first leg last week in the República Tcheca, leaving the tie evenly matched ahead of the return fixture.

Match overview

Lausanne are in the Conference League knockout phase playoffs after finishing just a point shy of the top eight.

Despite this, the Swiss team must have been pleased with their ninth-place finish, which secured them a seeded position in the playoffs, having amassed three wins, two draws, and one loss in their six league phase matches.

Peter Zeidler’s squad would have been satisfied with the 1-1 result against Olomouc in last week’s opener, although they had taken the lead through Nathan Butler-Oyedeji in the first half.

However, their overall form is concerning, as they are now winless in their last seven competitive fixtures following a 2-1 defeat to Lugano in Sunday’s Swiss Super League match (D4, L3).

This latest setback leaves Lausanne in ninth place in the Swiss Super League standings and on track for the relegation group when the league splits in two come April.

With hopes of European qualification largely dashed, Lausanne will aim to extend their campaign in the Conference League, knowing a potential last-16 clash awaits against either AEK Larnaca or Mainz 05 if they can overcome Olomouc.

Lausanne can take encouragement from the fact they have not lost any of their six home matches in the Conference League this season (including the qualifying rounds).

On the other hand, Olomouc are participating in their first European campaign since suffering defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in the 1991-92 UEFA Cup finals.

Unlike their hosts, Olomouc barely advanced to the knockout phase playoffs, showcasing a lackluster performance during the league phase.

The Czech side finished in 24th place, narrowly ahead of Universitatea Craiova based on goals scored, after achieving two wins, one draw, and three losses in their six league matches.

Sigma were unable to leverage their home advantage in the initial leg against Lausanne, as Tomas Janotka’s team failed to capitalize on Danijel Sturm’s equalizer in the 58th minute.

Although they now face a challenging away trip, Olomouc will come into this match with a boost from their 3-1 victory over Teplice in the league.

Filip Slavicek, Mohamed Yasser, and Ahmad Ghali all scored during the first half of the Czech First League fixture on Sunday, marking their first competitive away win since November.

Nevertheless, they must feel disheartened to have missed out on achieving an away clean sheet, as they have now gone 16 consecutive away matches without a shutout since winning 1-0 against Slovacko in July.

Team News

Lausanne are likely to be without forward Theo Bair, who has been out since December due to a knee injury.

Midfielder Beyatt Lekoueiry is set to miss the match with a one-game suspension after receiving his third yellow card in the competition last week.

Omar Janneh is among the main attacking threats for the home team, having netted four times in eight appearances since joining from Atletico Madrid in the winter transfer window.

As for the visitors, they are expected to miss Artur Dolznikov, Adam Urica, and Jan Kral, while Sturm is doubtful after missing Sunday’s win over Teplice due to personal matters.

The attacking pair of Ahmad Ghali and Jan Kliment are hoping to recover from their respective injuries in time for Thursday’s match.

Jakub Elbel, Dario Grgic, Jakub Jezierski, Louis Lurvink, and Vaclav Sejk are among those not included in the Conference League squad.

Lausanne Sport probable starting XI:

Letica; Soppy, Moor, Sow, Airplane; Keeper, Roche, Mollet, Diakite; Janneh, Butler-Oyedeji

Sigma Olomouc probable starting XI:

Koutny; Hadas, Sylla, Money, Peace; Beran, Rusek, Barath; Ghali, Sip, Kliment

If the first leg serves as an indication, Thursday’s battle in Suíça promises to be fiercely contested.

Given the razor-thin margins, we believe that home advantage could prove crucial, particularly since Lausanne has secured victories in four of their six home matches in the Conference League this season.