Slavia Prague vs Lens – News and Probable Lineups

On Thursday night, Lens will visit Fortuna Arena in the Czech Republic to take on Slavia Prague in their first fixture of the League Phase for the 2026-27 Champions League.

These two teams previously faced each other in 1995-96, when Slavia achieved a 1-0 aggregate victory in the third round of the UEFA Cup.

Match overview

Slavia Prague is making its second consecutive appearance in the Champions League group stage and only the fourth in its history, having clinched the Czech First League title in 2025-26, suffering just one defeat in 30 matches while finishing eight points ahead of Sparta Prague.

Head coach Jindrich Trpisoxy has led the team to an unbeaten start in the new season, accumulating 17 points from their initial seven league matches (W5 D2) to sit atop the league table.

The Red and Whites head into European competition following a commanding 4-0 victory at home against Brno last Saturday, reinforcing their strong attacking line to support a defense that has conceded only five goals domestically thus far.

Slavia will be eager to translate their impressive domestic performance onto the European stage as they seek to break their dismal 19-match winless streak in the Champions League (D7 L12); their last win in the tournament was in September 2007 when they defeated Steaua Bucharest 1-0 at home.

Trpisoxy’s team ended up 33rd in the 36-team League Phase table last season after recording three draws and five losses in their eight games. Nonetheless, they can derive confidence from winning four of their last six matches against French opponents (L2), offering a positive outlook ahead of the encounter with Lens.

Similarly, Lens prepares for its fourth foray into the Champions League following previous participations in 1998-99, 2002-03, and 2023-24, where they were eliminated at the group stage each time.

Les Sang et Or shocked many by finishing second in Ligue 1 last season, challenging title holders PSG, while also lifting their first Coupe de França in May and adding the Trophee des Champions triumph in August to their accolades.

Dino Toppmoller is now in charge of Lens, taking over from Pierre Sage, and he has seen a mixed start to the 2026-27 Ligue 1 season. Following a 5-2 win against Auxerre on the opening weekend, they suffered consecutive defeats to Strasbourg (2-1) and Lorient (1-0), losing to the latter last Saturday.

Now Lens looks ahead to the Champions League and enters Thursday’s fixture unbeaten in their opening match in each of their last four major European campaigns, although they have drawn all four times, and only failed to score in three of their 18 UCL group stage matches.

However, historical trends indicate that Lens might have a tough time securing a positive result away from home, as they have not won in their last 13 away matches in major European competitions (D5 L8) since a 4-2 victory over Grodzisk during the UEFA Cup first round in September 2005.

Team News

For Slavia Prague, the chances of Lukas Provod and David Zima featuring on Thursday are slim due to respective ankle and concussion injuries, while Tomas Holes (unspecified) also remains unavailable.

Mojmir Chytil has recorded all of his four goals this season at home and will be looking to reclaim a starting spot at Tomas Chory’s expense, who netted twice in the recent win over Brno.

David Jurasek, a left-back, and winger Emmanuel Ayaosi both made impacts as substitutes last match and will be vying for inclusion, while Michal Sadilek and Wiktor Nowak are likely to partner in central midfield.

For Lens, Maik Nawrocki (ACL), Jonathan Gradit (leg fracture), Samson Baidoo (leg), Nidal Celik (knee), and Jhoanner Chavez (thigh) are all sidelined as they recuperate from their respective injuries.

Additionally, Yacine Titraoui is doubtful with a thigh injury sustained in their defeat to Lorient, along with Matthieu Udol who will need to be assessed before the match.

Captain Florian Thauvin has made an impressive start this season, scoring four goals in as many matches, including three in which he opened the scoring, and is expected to continue in an advanced midfield position alongside Thorgan Hazard, while Abdallah Sima will lead the attack against his former team.

Jean-Clair Todibo was signed on loan from West Ham United during the summer transfer window and may make his debut in a three-man defensive setup alongside Ismaelo Ganiou and Kyllian Antonio.

Slavia Prague probable starting XI:

Markovic; Cottage, N’Guessan, Winter; Isife, Sadilek, Nowak, Jurasek; Ayaosi, Caught, Sturm

Lens probable starting XI:

Risser; Todibo, Ganiou, Antonio; Aguilar, Haidara, Cuisance, Skoras; Thauvin, Hazard; Cement

Given that Slavia Prague is averaging three goals per game across their initial seven fixtures this season, and noting that none of Lens’ 18 historical Champions League group-stage matches have ended in a scoreless tie, an exciting and fast-paced encounter seems likely in the Czech capital.

While the visitors possess the tactical adaptability to match the hosts’ potent attack, on paper, there is not much separating these two well-organized teams, suggesting that a score draw could be a realistic outcome.