Lyon vs Crystal Palace

Lyon host Crystal Palace in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, with both clubs having won their opening matchweek fixture.

Crystal Palace travel without five senior players

Crystal Palace won 4-0 against Lech Poznan in Matchweek 1 on 17 September 2026, leaving them second in the 36-team table. However, they arrive in Lyon without Axel Disasi due to suspension, while Chadi Riad, Dean Henderson, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are out through injury. Top scorer Jørgen Strand Larsen, who has four goals in all competitions, leads the attack following a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest on 11 October 2026. Across their last five matches with recorded chance metrics, Crystal Palace created 1.43 expected goals per game while allowing 1.59.

Lyon count defensive injuries after Lens defeat

Lyon sit 11th in the standings following a 2-1 away victory against Anderlecht on 16 September 2026. Their recent run met resistance on 9 October 2026 in a 2-1 loss at Lens. Lyon enter this tie without four injured players: Loïs Openda, Mohamed Ouédraogo, Moussa Niakhaté, and Nicolás Tagliafico. In attack, top scorer Ernest Nuamah holds four goals across all competitions this season, and Lyon have averaged 1.75 expected goals created against 1.06 conceded across their last five recorded outings.

Our model leans narrowly towards a Lyon win

Our forecasting model leans narrowly towards a Lyon win. Lyon hold home ground at Parc Olympique Lyonnais and maintain superior underlying chance metrics, producing 1.75 expected goals while conceding 1.06 per match compared to Crystal Palace allowing 1.59. Crystal Palace, however, secured four goals without reply in their European opener and enter fresh from a 3-1 league victory, while Lyon must rearrange their back line without four injured regulars.