Slavia Prague hosts RC Lens this Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Fortuna Arena in Prague for Matchday 1 of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase.
The Czech side is coming off a convincing 4-0 victory over Zbrojovka Brno on Sept. 5, while the French side is coming off a 1-0 loss to Lorient on Saturday.
Below is the key information you need to know ahead of this match.
Preview: Slavia Prague vs. Lens
Kickoff: 3:00 pm ET / 12:00 pm PT @ Fortuna Arena, Prague
How to watch live: Streaming on Paramount+, ViX
Jindřich Trpišovský’s side comes into this match on a good domestic run, as they have not lost a game since May 17. In their last five matches, they have recorded three wins and two draws, and they currently sit atop the Czech league with 17 points after seven matchdays, with five wins and two draws.
Among their recent victories, a 3-0 win over Sparta Prague in the derby stands out, with goals from Wiktor Nowak, Daniel Sturm and Emanuel Ayaosi.
For its part, Lens, under Dino Toppmöller, is not in its best form, having lost three of its last five matches. That said, one recent game was an important 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the French Super Cup final.
This scrappy but proud club from France’s northern coal-belt parted ways with 25 players over the summer transfer window. That’s two full starting sides, plus three substitutes. What’s surprising is the club winning at all after that much turmoil. Two departures have hurt more than others: midfielder Mamadou Sangaré moved to Bournemouth and defender Facundo Medina moved to Marseille.
Lens currently sits 10th in Ligue 1 with just three points after the first three matchdays, having recorded only one win and two defeats.
Players to Watch & Match Prediction
Slavia Prague has a fairly well-balanced squad in terms of its most important players so far this season, but it is worth highlighting its midfield duo, Mikal Sadilek and Wiktor Nowak, who have three assists; the former has one goal and one assist, and the latter has four goals. In attack, Danijel Sturm also stands out with two assists and one goal, while center forward Tomáš Chorý has three goals this season.
The club’s top scorers in the league so far are Nowak and Mojmír Chytil, both with four goals. Chorý was the MVP of the most recent match, scoring a brace in the victory over Zbrojovka Brno.
For its part, although Lens is going through a difficult period domestically, it has a clearer idea of who its stars are. Currently, captain Florian Thauvin has one assist and three goals, making him the team’s leading scorer so far and, in general, the highest-rated player in the matches we have seen this season.
In their most recent match, a 1-0 loss to Lorient, center back Ismaëlo Ganiou stood out as the player with the most touches of the ball, recording 110. Although the young Frenchman showed good passing ability, he fell relatively short defensively, as they ultimately lost.
Lens’ most recent victory was a 5-2 win over Auxerre on Aug. 22, and both Thauvin and Franjo Ivanović stood out in that match. The Croatian had the most touches in the opposition penalty area, recording seven, and also completed the most dribbles and took the most shots, with three in both categories.
Despite Lens’ poor run of form, the difference in domestic level will probably come into play and could be a good opportunity for Toppmöller’s side to return to winning ways.
Manuel Meza is a writer for Hooligan Soccer. He is a distinguished digital content creator specializing in soccer and NHL writing, SEO, and podcast production. With a B.A. in Business Administration from Instituto Tecnologico de Sonora, Manuel has honed his expertise in news writing, copywriting, digital journalism, social media, and community growth. His prolific work, including over 600 articles for Athlon Sports, established him as a key contributor to their early soccer coverage. He notably led coverage of Sunderland for Sports Illustrated, elevating it to the network’s top soccer site. Manuel’s insights have also graced Yardbarker, Roundtable Sports, The Sporting News, Inter Miami News, and MX Futbol. As a former Site Expert at FanSided, he generated over one million pageviews in a single month and has hosted the official Spanish-language Paris Saint-Germain FanFest. Connect with Manuel on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack for his expert analysis and engaging content. Manuel is dedicated to delivering high-quality, insightful content that captivates and informs.
