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

Lyon will look to maintain their perfect start to the Ligue 1 season when they welcome Marseille to the Groupama Stadium on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the visitors will be targeting back-to-back victories after cruising past Paris FC in their most recent outing.

Match preview

After winning their appeal against administrative relegation, Lyon have made an impressive start to Paulo Fonseca's first full season in charge, even though he continues to serve a lengthy touchline ban for angrily confronting referee Benoit Millot in March's win over Brest.

Fonseca may be banned from carrying out his matchday duties, but that has not stopped his team from winning their opening two league games without conceding.

Les Gones edged out Lens via 1-0 in their first outing of the new season, before they eased to a 3-0 victory in last Sunday's clash against Metz, thanks to goals from Malick Fofana, Corentin Tolisso and Adam Karabec.

Lyon will enter the third matchday as the early league leaders and as one of four teams with a 100% record in the top flight.

They are now just one victory away from starting a Ligue 1 campaign with three consecutive wins for the first time since 1981-82.

However, they will be aware that it will be tricky to take maximum points off Marseille, having lost five of their previous six head-to-head meetings (W1), including 3-2 defeats in their home and away encounters in the 2024-25 season.

Marseille will expect to operate near the top of the Ligue 1 table after finishing in the top three in three of the past four seasons.

After guiding Marseille to second place last term, Roberto De Zerbi would have been disappointed to start his second season as a Ligue 1 manager with a 1-0 away defeat against 10-man Rennes.

However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss would have been pleased with his side's response in their first home match of the campaign against newly-promoted Paris FC.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted a brace alongside goals from Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Robinio Vaz, as Marseille eased to a 5-2 victory to make it five consecutive Ligue 1 home wins since they lost to Lens in March.

However, they struggled to replicate that sort of form on their travels in 2025, having won three, drawn one and lost six of their 10 away league matches in the calendar year.

With that said, they can at least draw inspiration from the fact that they have won two of their last three away games against Lyon.

Lyon Ligue 1 form:

W W

Marseille Ligue 1 form:

L W

Team News

Lyon are unable to call upon the injured duo of Orel Mangala and Ernest Nuamah, while Sael Kumbedi is no longer an option following his recent loan switch to Wolfsburg.

They are also expected to be without Georgian striker Georges Mikautadze, who is believed to be on the verge of completing a move to La Liga club Villarreal.

Sparta Prague loanee Karabec will likely have to settle for a place among the substitutes despite coming off the bench to score his first Lyon goal last weekend.

Marseille are unable to call upon the injured quartet of Facundo Medina, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Amine Harit and Igor Paixao.

Midfielder Adrien Rabiot is currently unavailable for selection after being transfer-listed for his involvement in an altercation with Jonathan Rowe following the opening-day defeat to Rennes.

De Zerbi is likely to name an unchanged lineup, which would see Aubameyang retain his place after netting a brace on his first start since returning to the club.

Lyon possible starting lineup:

Descamps; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhate, Abner; Morton, Tessman; Karabec, Tolisso, Fofana; Sulc

Marseille possible starting lineup:

Rulli; Murillo, Egan-Riley, Balerdi, Garcia; Gomes, Hojbjerg; Greenwood, Gouiri, Weah; Aubameyang

We say: Lyon 2-1 Marseille

Marseille have struggled for victories in their Ligue 1 away matches in 2025, and we think that they could experience another successful road trip against a Lyon side that will be full of confidence after starting the new Ligue 1 season with back-to-back victories.

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