Preview: Lyon vs Crystal Palace - prediction, team news, lineups

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 stage an intriguing contest between two sides who are seeking to claim their second successive League Phase victory.

Match preview

Competing in the Europa League for the third straight season after a heartbreaking Champions League playoff exit in August, Lyon kick-started their campaign with a 2-1 away victory over Anderlecht last month, scoring twice in a dominant first half before grinding out a result under intense second-half pressure.

Head coach Paulo Fonseca has since overseen mixed results in Ligue 1, with a convincing 4-0 home win over Rennes followed by a 2-1 away defeat to Lens last weekend, ending their five-match unbeaten start on the domestic front.

Sitting fourth in the Ligue 1 standings and only three points behind unbeaten leaders Monaco, Lyon will now turn their focus to defending an impressive 12-match unbeaten home record in the group stage/League Phase of the Europa League (W7 D5), stretching back to December 2018.

Les Gones head into Thursday’s clash seeking to win six consecutive group stage/League Phase matches in Europe’s secondary club competition for the first time.

However, they have only won eight of their previous 27 meetings with English clubs (D10 L9) and have prevailed on just one occasion in eight encounters with London-based sides (D3 L4) – beating Tottenham in the first leg of a European Cup Winners’ Cup tie back in 1967-68.

Following a challenging start to life at Selhurst Park, Pierre Sage is finally finding his feet as Crystal Palace boss, with four wins and one draw posted across their last six matches in all competitions.

Palace supporters were fearing the worst in the Premier League on Sunday, as Oliver Glasner’s Nottingham Forest took an early lead and dominated the first half. However, the Eagles scored two quickfire goals on the stroke of half time before Yeremy Pino added a third after the break to complete the surprise turnaround and seal a 3-1 victory.

Sage has inherited a team with a “big heart” who also recorded a 4-0 home victory over Lech Poznan to begin their maiden Europa League campaign in emphatic fashion prior to the international break.

The reigning Conference League champions have now lost just one of their last 12 matches in European competitions (W8 D3), but that solitary loss was suffered in their last visit to France as they were beaten 2-1 by Strasbourg during the League Phase in November last year.

Palace travel to Lyon having won only one of their last eight away matches across all tournaments (D2 L5), while Sage - who managed Lyon between November 2023 and January 2025 – won one, drew one and lost one of his three games against Les Gones during his time as Lens boss last season.

Lyon Europa League form:

Lyon form (all competitions):

Crystal Palace Europa League form:

Crystal Palace form (all competitions):

Team News

Lyon striker Lois Openda is facing several weeks on the sidelines with a fibula break, while Moussa Niakhate (hamstring) and Mohamed Ouedraogo (knee) are also in the treatment room.

Pavel Sulc may be tasked with operating as a false nine in the absence of Openda, while Keito Nakamura could be recalled to link up with Ernest Nuamah and either Kail Boudache or Corentin Tolisso in the final third.

Ex-Brentford man Mads Bidstrup will battle with Tanner Tessmann for a start in centre-midfield alongside Englishman Tyler Morton, while Clinton Mata will hope to earn a recall at centre-back at the expense of Felix Bacher.

As for Crystal Palace, Dean Henderson (foot), Jean-Philippe Mateta (hamstring), Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) and Chadi Riad (knee) are all ruled out due to injury, but Axel Disasi is available after serving a domestic ban.

Disasi and Honest Ahanor are strong contenders to come into the back three and play alongside Chris Richards, while Jefferson Lerma, Will Hughes and Cheick Doucoure will all provide competition for Adam Wharton and Quinten Timber in midfield.

After a summer of uncertainty over his future, Ismaila Sarr is available for selection and Sage will weigh up 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 may remain intact.

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

We say: Lyon 1-1 Crystal Palace

Lyon and Palace will be bidding to build on their winning starts in the League Phase, but a closely-contested battle between two teams who have looked vulnerable in defence of late could be in store.

With Sage well aware of what to expect from his former employers, a gradually-improving Eagles outfit may find a way to frustrate the hosts and ultimately share the spoils in a score draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.