Preview: Lyon vs Lorient - prediction, team news, lineups

Lyon will aim, at worst, to maintain a place in Europe with a victory on Sunday at Groupama Stadium against Lorient.

Heading into matchday 29 of the Ligue 1 season, Les Gones are sixth following a 0-0 draw at Angers, with Lorient 10 points behind them in ninth after drawing 1-1 with Paris FC.

Match preview

A place in Europe appeared to be a certainty for Olympique Lyonnais before the month of March came around.

Since the beginning of last month, Paulo Fonseca’s side have hit a rough patch, without a single competitive triumph, while exiting both the Coupe de France and Europa League.

For the moment, they are just a point above Rennes for the final place in Europe heading into this matchday and are winless in six straight contests domestically.

In their last four competitive fixtures, Lyon have netted just one goal overall, while scoring one or fewer in those previous six instances.

OL have a mere one point from their previous four matches at Groupama Stadium across all competitions, squandering a 1-0 advantage to lose 2-1 versus Monaco in their last Ligue 1 game at home.

This season, Lyon are unbeaten at home in this competition versus newly promoted teams, with their only such triumph coming against Metz last August (3-0).

Wins have been few and far between in recent times for Lorient, but they have likely done enough to remain in Ligue 1 for another campaign.

With six matches to go, they are guaranteed not to finish in the bottom two, while Auxerre are in the relegation playoffs and 15 points below the Brittany club.

It is a longshot but if Olivier Pantaloni’s men can win out, they would eclipse their 2022-23 Ligue 1 campaign points total, when they earned 55.

Lorient are winless in their last four top-flight affairs away from home but have earned a point in two of those previous three outings.

They have a 100% away record domestically this year when scoring first, doing so on only two occasions in 2026.

Les Merlus have points in their last three visits to Groupama Stadium and on Sunday could win both Ligue 1 outings against them in the same season for the first time this century.

Lyon Ligue 1 form:

Lyon form (all competitions):

Lorient Ligue 1 form:

Lorient form (all competitions):

Team News

A muscle issue could keep Ruben Kluivert out of the Lyon fold this weekend, Noham Kamara is dealing with adductor pain, Malick Fofana has a sore ankle, Pavel Sulc is questionable due to a knock and Ernest Nuamah has a cruciate ligament injury.

Nicolas Tagliafico will be suspended, while Remi Himbert is likely to miss another week because of an ankle problem.

At Lorient, Isaak Toure is expected to miss another game with a knock, Laurent Abergel is dealing with ankle soreness, Bandiougou Fadiga has a groin strain and Arsene Kouassi will be suspended.

Bamba Dieng gave his side the lead less than 10 minutes into the second half last week, drawing even with Pablo Pagis for the team lead in Ligue 1 this season, with his eighth of the campaign.

Lyon possible starting lineup:

Grief; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhate, Abner; Tessmann, Morton; Karabec, Tolisso, Moreira; Endrick

Lorient possible starting lineup:

Mvogo; Meite, Talbi, Faye; Le Bris, Cadiou, Avom, Sanusi, Makengo, Pagis; Dieng

We say: Lyon 1-1 Lorient

Lorient have been slow out of the gate away from home, but have often made a comeback, and Lyon’s inability to close out games lately has us leaning towards a draw in this one.

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