Our betting expert previews this Europa League clash, with Lyon tipped to win narrowly thanks to home advantage.
Best bets for Olympique Lyon vs Crystal Palace
- Totals & BTTS - Over 2.5 goals & Yes at odds of 1.77 on Stake
- 1x2 - Lyon at odds of 2.19 on Stake
- Anytime goalscorer - Yeremy Pino at odds of 4.50 on Stake
Our analysis: Form of both teams
- Score prediction: OlympiqueLyon 2-1 Crystal Palace
- Goalscorers prediction: OlympiqueLyon: Ernest Nuamah, Lois Openda - Crystal Palace: Yeremy Pino
Lyon’s return to competitive football after the extended international break put an end to a wonderful run. Les Gones lost 2-1 away to Lens on Friday night. The result left them fourth in Ligue 1 after six matches. After back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the league, head coach Paulo Fonseca will want to maintain their domestic form as well.
The Europa League gives them a chance to put their domestic setback behind them after a positive start to the competition. The French side edged past Anderlecht on Matchday 1, leaving them comfortably in the play-off places for now. With seven games remaining, their position is far from secure, making it crucial to pick up at least three points in their home fixtures.
Crystal Palace have also struggled domestically. The Eagles had won just one of their first five Premier League matches.Pierre Sage’s men returned to league action with a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest, managed by their former boss Oliver Glasner. They will also be keen to return to the Europa League after a positive start to the competition.
The Conference League champions swept past Lech Poznan 4-0 in what was their first-ever match in this competition. The Eagles head to France second in the standings, and with every desire to hold that position.Sage returns to a club he managed for 14 months, so he knows Lyon well and may have some useful insight into how to beat them.
Probable lineups for Olympique Lyon vs Crystal Palace
Olympique Lyon expected lineup: Descamps, Kluivert, Mata, Niakhate, Quedraogo, Tessmann, Morton, Nartey, Nuamah, Nakamura, Openda
Crystal Palace expected lineup: Benitez, Lerma, Richards, Canvot, Khalaili, Timber, Wharton, Mitchell, Kamada, Pino, Strand-Larsen
Goals expected at both ends
Lyon have scored 10 goals in their last five matches across all competitions, averaging two per game. Home advantage could give them an extra boost on Thursday. Their previous five games at their home base produced 12 goals for Les Gones.
Palace have also been prolific, scoring 12 goals in their last five competitive matches. Scoring three against Forest at the weekend should also give them a confidence boost ahead of their trip to France. However, Palace could struggle to contain Lyon, who have scored at least twice in six of their last seven home games in this competition.
Palace’s last four European matches where they were designated as the away team saw both teams score goals. Additionally, six of their last seven games in all competitions produced more than two goals. Lyon have also seen both teams score in four of their recent five European matches, making a case for the same to happen this week.
- Olympique Lyon vs Crystal Palace Betting Tip 1: Totals & BTTS - Over 2.5 goals & Yes at odds of 1.77 on Stake
Capitalising on Palace’s poor away form
This is a difficult fixture to call, given both teams’ domestic form and their respective starts to the Europa League. However, discounting home advantage for Lyon would be foolish. The hosts’ opening day win made it eight triumphs in the last nine UEL league-phase matches.
Fonseca’s charges made it five in a row last time out against Anderlecht, and they’re likely to make it six on Thursday. Les Gones won six of the last nine matches at their home base, losing two in that run. Palace are unbeaten in their last three matches, but facing a team of Lyon’s calibre will be a tougher test.
The Eagles won the clubs’ only previous meeting, a friendly in 2023. However, their record against French opposition is less encouraging. Palace lost to Strasbourg last term, and they’ll want to avoid being the first English side that Lyon beat. Sage’s men have won just one of their last eight away games, losing five. That record points towards a home win here.
- Olympique Lyon vs Crystal Palace Betting Tip 2: 1x2 - Lyon at odds of 2.19 on Stake
Picking Pino to breach the hosts
With Jean-Philippe Mateta likely to miss out on this one through injury, the goals must come from elsewhere. Palace have a player in form who can pose a threat in attack. Yeremy Pino will be a key threat for Lyon to contain if they are to limit Palace’s attacking threat.
The Spanish forward got his name on the scoresheet this past weekend, opening his Premier League account for the season. Pino was also on target in Palace’s victory against Lech Poznan on Matchday 1. That means he’s now scored two goals in his last three appearances for the club.
Pino will play a key role behind Jørgen Strand Larsen, looking to capitalise on the second balls won by the Norwegian. That makes him an appealing anytime goalscorer option on Thursday. However, he has also been booked in each of his last two appearances for Palace.
- Lyon vs Crystal Palace Betting Tip 3: Anytime goalscorer - Yeremy Pino at odds of 4.50 on Stake