Sparta had already started their domestic campaign heading into this tussle with the Ligue 1 heavyweights, and that extra sharpness was clearly evident following a lively start to proceedings here.
Andy Irving and Josimar Alcócer both spurned early opportunities, while Lyon defender Tanner Tessmann was almost caught out in his own box before digging the ball out of his feet and clearing the danger.
It looked like Paulo Fonseca’s side had been punished for their lacklustre start when Jonatan Braut Brunes fired home a clinical angled finish past Dominik Greif, but the visitors’ blushes were spared after VAR correctly ruled out the strike for an offside call against John Mercado. Brian Priske's side then had another chance to take the lead when Adam Sevínsky headed wide from Roman Macek’s set piece.
It had been a disappointing first half for Les Gones, but they inexplicably took the lead with half-time approaching, courtesy of a comical own goal, as Martin Suchomel bundled the ball into his own net after intercepting a cross towards Corentin Tolisso.
Lyon were clearly buoyed by that opener against the run of play, and almost added a second soon after the restart, when Jakub Surovcik parried away Tolisso’s strike at his near post following a perfectly-weighted cross from Ainsley Maitland-Niles. The hosts were sensing it could be one of those nights after having a second goal ruled out for offside, with Alcócer narrowly mistiming his run before applying a tidy finish past Greif.
There was a palpable sense of relief inside the ground when Rynes drilled a clinical left-footed shot into the bottom corner to restore parity for the hosts, but Sparta’s joy appeared to be short-lived when Sevínsky was penalised for bringing down Lois Openda in the box.
The away section held its breath, but Tolisso failed to accept the gift and blazed the subsequent penalty well over the target.
And that miss would prove to be even more costly just after the three-quarter mark, as Mercado ghosted into an unmarked position at the far post to head home Rynes’ cross.
That would ultimately prove to be decisive, leaving Sparta with a coveted lead to take to France in a week’s time. Priske's men will have genuine hope of breaking the club’s UCL third qualifying round hoodoo, after losing four of their previous five two-legged ties at this stage of Europe’s elite cup competition. Meanwhile, there is plenty of work to do for two-time semi-finalists Lyon, whose hopes of appearing in the competition proper for the first time since 2019/20 look in jeopardy.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Matej Rynes (Sparta Prague)