Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage returns to his native France to face his former club Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night. Groupama Stadium will host the encounter between two sides seeking to record their second consecutive victory in the League Phase. Match preview Lyon, competing in the Europa…...
Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage returns to his native France to face his former club Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Groupama Stadium will host the encounter between two sides seeking to record their second consecutive victory in the League Phase.
Match preview
Lyon, competing in the Europa League for the third successive season after their Champions League playoff exit in August, began their campaign with a 2-1 away victory over Anderlecht last month.
They scored twice in a dominant first half before withstanding intense pressure after the break to secure the win.
Head coach Paulo Fonseca has since overseen mixed results in Ligue 1, with a convincing 4-0 home victory over Rennes followed by a 2-1 away defeat to Lens last weekend, ending their five-match unbeaten start in the domestic league.
Sitting fourth in the Ligue 1 standings, three points behind unbeaten leaders Monaco, Lyon will now aim to protect their impressive 12-match unbeaten home record in the Europa League group stage and League Phase (W7 D5), stretching back to December 2018.
Les Gones are also seeking to win six consecutive group stage or League Phase matches in Europe’s secondary club competition for the first time.
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However, Lyon have won only eight of their previous 27 meetings with English clubs, drawing 10 and losing nine. They have also recorded just one victory in eight encounters with London-based sides, drawing three and losing four. Their only win came against Tottenham in the first leg of a European Cup Winners’ Cup tie during the 1967-68 season.
After a challenging start at Selhurst Park, Pierre Sage is gradually settling into his role as Crystal Palace manager, with the Eagles recording four wins and one draw across their last six matches in all competitions.
Palace supporters were left concerned during Sunday’s Premier League encounter after Nottingham Forest, managed by Oliver Glasner, took an early lead and dominated the first half.
However, the Eagles scored twice in quick succession just before half-time before Yeremy Pino added a third after the break to complete a comeback and secure a 3-1 victory.
Sage has inherited a team described as having a “big heart”. Palace also began their maiden Europa League campaign with an emphatic 4-0 home victory over Lech Poznan before the international break.
The reigning Conference League champions have now lost just one of their last 12 matches in European competitions, recording eight wins and three draws during that period.
Their only defeat came on their last visit to France, when they lost 2-1 to Strasbourg in the League Phase in November last year.
Palace travel to Lyon having won only one of their last eight away matches across all competitions, drawing two and losing five.
Sage, who managed Lyon between November 2023 and January 2025, recorded one win, one draw and one defeat in his three meetings with Les Gones while in charge of Lens last season.
Lyon Europa League form:
W
Lyon form (all competitions):
D, W, D, W, W, L
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Crystal Palace Europa League form:
W
Crystal Palace form (all competitions):
W, W, L, W, D, W
Team News
Lyon striker Lois Openda is expected to spend several weeks on the sidelines with a fibula fracture, while Moussa Niakhate, who has a hamstring problem, and Mohamed Ouedraogo, who is recovering from a knee injury, are also unavailable.
Pavel Sulc could be deployed as a false nine in Openda’s absence, while Keito Nakamura may return to the starting lineup to link up with Ernest Nuamah and either Kail Boudache or Corentin Tolisso in attack.
Former Brentford player Mads Bidstrup will compete with Tanner Tessmann for a place in central midfield alongside Englishman Tyler Morton.
Clinton Mata will also hope to return to the starting lineup at centre-back at the expense of Felix Bacher.
For Crystal Palace, Dean Henderson, who has a foot injury, Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is struggling with a hamstring problem, Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has a calf injury, and Chadi Riad, who has a knee injury, are all ruled out.
However, Axel Disasi is available after serving a domestic suspension.
Disasi and Honest Ahanor are strong contenders to join Chris Richards in Palace’s back three, while Jefferson Lerma, Will Hughes and Cheick Doucoure will compete with Adam Wharton and Quinten Timber for midfield places.
After a summer of uncertainty surrounding his future, Ismaila Sarr is available for selection. Sage will decide whether to start last season’s top scorer, who netted nine goals in the Conference League.
However, an attacking trio of Daichi Kamada, Yeremy Pino and Jorgen Strand Larsen could retain their places.
Lyon possible starting lineup:
Greif; Athekame, Mata, Kluivert, Vinicius; Bidstrup, Morton; Nuamah, Tolisso, Nakamura; Sulc.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Ahanor, Disasi, Richards; Khalaili, Timber, Wharton, Mitchell; Kamada, Pino; Strand Larsen.
Prediction:
Lyon 1-1 Crystal Palace
Lyon and Crystal Palace will be looking to build on their winning starts in the League Phase, but a closely contested encounter could be expected between two sides that have shown defensive vulnerabilities in recent matches.
With Sage familiar with his former club, an improving Palace side could frustrate the hosts and secure a share of the points in a draw.