Paulo Fonseca has confirmed Lyon will revert to their trademark 4-3-3 formation for Tuesday evening’s Champions League qualifier at Groupama Stadium, where the French side must overturn a 1-2 deficit from last week’s away leg in Prague. The Portuguese manager revealed Moussa Niakhaté will return from suspension to partner Alexandre Lacazette in central defense, with Ernest Nuamah, Loïs Openda and Malick Fofana leading the attacking line.

Defensive adjustments key to progression

«We will return to a flat four at the back to secure victory,» Fonseca stated. «The issue in Prague wasn’t the five-at-the-back system [with Tanner Tessmann in midfield], but rather our defensive positioning and lack of aggression in both boxes. Our wingers are now fully fit, unlike Julien Duranville and Kaïl Boudache at the first leg. We demonstrated we can create chances against Sparta, but now we must increase our attacking intensity and crucially, score first.»

Morton confident in system change

Tyler Morton, who thrives in the 4-3-3 setup, echoed his manager’s optimism. «I love playing in this system,» he admitted. «It lets me use my passing range effectively. More than the formation though, aggression on the ball will be decisive. We gave Sparta too much space in the first leg – they’re a quality team who fully deserved their lead. This week we’ll show our true quality and I’m very confident.»

A second chance to progress

Fonseca avoided discussing revenge, instead focusing on the opportunity a second leg provides. «Naturally disappointed by the first result, but this additional week of preparation gives us a chance to change the narrative,» he explained. «We’ll go all out to win and keep our European adventure alive.»