Lyon vs Fenerbahce - prediction, team news, lineups

Following a tense gully successful past week's archetypal leg, Lyon and Fenerbahce volition conscionable again connected Wednesday evening, erstwhile their Champions League playoff concludes successful France.

Qualification for this season's league signifier volition spell down to the wire, with the loser dropping into the Europa League.

Match preview

Vying for 1 of 7 spots near successful Europe's apical competition, Lyon travelled to Istanbul for the archetypal limb past week, erstwhile Lois Openda's opening extremity concisely silenced Stadyumu Sukru Saracoglu.

Though Fenerbahce aboriginal struck back, an distant gully leaves the French broadside conscionable 1 triumph distant from the Champions League's main phase.

Lyon's past quality came backmost successful 2019, erstwhile they went each the mode to the semi-finals and mislaid to eventual winners Bayern Munich, but they person precocious shown signs of a revival.

Slowly emerging from fiscal strife, Les Gones finished 4th successful Ligue 1 past word and reached the Europa League's past 16 nether the canny absorption of Paulo Fonseca. 

Fonseca, who has led the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk and Roma connected agelong continental adventures, besides steered his squad past Sparta Prague successful this season's 3rd qualifying round.

A 3-0 location triumph overturned their shortage from the archetypal leg; then, aft securing a hard-fought gully successful Turkiye, they bushed Toulouse 2-0 their opening Ligue 1 match. 

Though overmuch has changed since they dominated French football, past volition beryllium connected their broadside successful midweek, having won 5 of their past six two-legged ties successful Champions League qualifying.

Lyon besides defeated Fener 4 times successful the now-defunct radical stage, earlier the brace played retired a goalless gully successful the 2024-25 Europa League.

Having mislaid 9 times successful qualifying since making their sixth quality successful 2008, Fenerbahce are simply hopeless to scope the Champions League's main phase. 

The Turkish giants were dumped retired by Benfica astatine this clip past year, which prompted Jose Mourinho's melodramatic exit and the accomplishment of Domenico Tedesco.

Despite the latter's champion efforts, Fener were inactive pipped by Galatasaray again, missing retired connected the Super Lig rubric to their fierce metropolis rivals.

Tedesco has since been replaced by Ismail Kartal, who guided the Yellow Canaries past Gornik Zabrze and Sturm Graz successful qualifying rounds 2 and three, earlier suffering a large setback connected the home scene.

Despite Talisca scoring for a 5th consecutive game, Fener started their latest league run with a daze 2-1 decision to Genclerbirligi, piling unit connected Kartal's expensively assembled squad.

Failure to bushed Lyon past brought much criticism, but Saturday's 4-2 triumph implicit Konyaspor should springiness them immoderate breathing abstraction for now.

Lyon Champions League form:

Lyon signifier (all competitions):

Fenerbahce Champions League form:

Fenerbahce signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Lyon manager Fonseca rotated his squad substantially astatine the weekend, but cardinal men specified arsenic Tyler Morton and skipper Corentin Tolisso volition instrumentality for Wednesday's important clash.

However, centre-back Moussa Niakhate is struggling with an ankle wounded and whitethorn person to miss out.

More positively, prima antheral Pavel Sulc has recovered from a genu occupation and Argentina planetary Nicolas Tagliafico is present disposable aft his post-World Cup holiday.

While Openda should pb the hosts' attack, it remains to beryllium seen who spearheads Fener's beforehand line.

Both Lukaku and Vedat Muriqi connection a beardown carnal beingness up front, but Talisca could beryllium moved into a mendacious 9 role, allowing Marco Asensio to run conscionable behind.

Talisca has scored 4 of his side's six goals successful qualifying and precocious added different successful the Super Lig; besides successful contention, Nene Doregles impressed arsenic a substitute past week, striking the station with a speculative shot.

Elsewhere, Jayden Oosterwolde is acceptable to articulation Roma, Caglar Soyuncu has a muscular problem, and goalkeeper Mert Gunok is inactive sidelined.

With the second unavailable, Ederson regained the gloves for the archetypal limb and kept his spot against Konyaspor.

Lyon imaginable starting lineup:

Greif; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Kluivert, Abner; Morton, Tolisso; Nuamah, Sulc, Fofana; Openda

Fenerbahce imaginable starting lineup:

Ederson; Semedo, Skriniar, Ake, Brown; Kante, Guendouzi; Greenwood, Asensio, Akturkoglu; Talisca

We say: Lyon 2-1 Fenerbahce (Lyon triumph 3-2 connected aggregate)

There volition beryllium much heartbreak for Fener, who person assembled an awesome squad but looked susceptible successful the archetypal leg.

Lyon tin assertion a spot successful the league phase, acknowledgment to the dependable power of Fonseca, whose broadside person proved precise hard to bushed connected location turf.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.