Lyon and Manchester United will face off in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final at Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday.
The 2024/25 UEFA Europa League resumes this week with the quarter-finals. The action on the day will start with an early fixture before ending with three simultaneous matches, including Lyon vs Manchester United at Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Some of the pre-match talk has already set up a delectable encounter between the two sides, with Nemanja Matic starting a war of words.
Lyon cruised to a 7-1 win over FCSB on aggregate in the round of 16 to reach the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals. The beleaguered Ligue 1 giants were also impressive in the opening phase and finished sixth to qualify for the knockout stages automatically. Meanwhile, Les Gones’ fortunes in Ligue 1 have improved, and they are fifth in the standings with a solid chance of sealing a top-four finish.
On the other hand, Manchester United have endured a slow resumption of the 2024/25 campaign after the international break, losing to Nottingham Forest before playing a goalless draw with Manchester City. Meanwhile, the Red Devils are the only unbeaten team in the UEFA Europa League, finishing third in the opening phase before coming from behind to seal a 5-2 win over Real Sociedad in the round of 16.
Manchester United’s most recent visit to Lyon ended in a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Champions League in February 2008. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Lyon
Paulo Fonseca has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Lyon manager might be bereft of the services of two first-team players vs Manchester United on Thursday.
Ernest Nuamah is the latest absentee after picking up an ACL injury this past weekend against LOSC Lille. The Ghanaian international has joined Malick Fofana (knee) on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Fonseca will be wary of possible suspensions, with Alexandre Lacazette, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Moussa Niakhate, and Corentin Tolisso walking the tightrope.
Lucas Perri should take his spot between the sticks, with Lyon lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Thursday. The backline will likely feature Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Clinton Mata, Moussa Niakhate, and Nicolas Tagliafico.
As for the midfield unit, Nemanja Matic will likely pair up with Tanner Tessmann in the double pivot, with Corentin Tolisso reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Georges Mikautadze will lead the line for Lyon against Manchester United, with Rayan Cherki and Thiago Almada completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Perri; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico; Tessmann, Matic; Cherki, Tolisso, Almada; Mikautadze
Manchester United
Unlike his counterpart in the Lyon dugout, Ruben Amorim has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Parc Olympique Lyonnais. The Manchester United manager might be without as many as seven first-team players.
While Toby Collyer (muscular) and Kobbie Mainoo (calf) are close to returning, Thursday’s game might have come too soon for the duo. However, Matthijs de Ligt (foot), Jonny Evans (lower back), Ayden Heaven (ankle), Lisandro Martinez (knee), and Amad (ankle) remain on the sidelines.
Andre Onana is the automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Lyon on Thursday. The central defensive unit will feature Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, and Leny Yoro. Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu will start as the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and support the centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, the resurgent Casemiro should pair up with Manuel Ugarte in the middle of the park. Finally, Joshua Zirkzee will spearhead the Manchester United attack against Lyon, with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes providing creative support.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Zirkzee
Key Stats
- Lyon have never won a game vs Manchester United in four attempts in major European competitions (D2 L2), only facing Barcelona more often without winning in Europe (P8 D3 L5). Manchester United’s two away visits to Lyon have both come in the UEFA Champions League, and on both occasions, they came from behind to seal a draw.
- Lyon have scored 23 goals in this season’s UEFA Europa League, only finding the back of the net more often in two major European campaigns – 29 in 2004/05 and 28 in 2016/17.
- Manchester United have lost just one of their last 21 UEFA Europa League matches (W14 D6), going down 3-0 away to Sevilla in April 2023. That defeat is also the only time in those 21 games they have failed to score.
- Manchester United have not lost the first leg of their last 11 major knockout ties (W5 D6) since a 1-0 home defeat to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League in April 2019. Their three most recent away first-leg matches have ended in a draw.
- Bruno Fernandes has been involved in 41 goals in the UEFA Europa League, the most of any player in the competition’s history (G24, A17). He also has the most goals and assists in the knockout stages (G16, A11), while his 11 assists are the joint most by a player in the knockouts, along with former teammate Juan Mata.
Player to Watch
Andre Onana
While Bruno Fernandes, Rayan Cherki, and Georges Mikautadze were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Andre Onana as the Player to Watch for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League clash between Lyon and Manchester United.
The Cameroonian international will have a point to prove after Nemanja Matic’s scathing remarks in his pre-match press conference. While Onana has also responded with a veiled dig, he will let his game do the talking on Thursday. Ruben Amorim will hope the goalkeeper comes out on top after the war of words on Wednesday.
Prediction
Lyon 1-1 Manchester United
Thursday’s UEFA Europa League match features one of the most prolific teams in this season’s competition against one of the best defensive sides. So, while Lyon will hope to continue the excellent scoring form, scoring multiple goals past Andre Onana might be a tall order.
The Red Devils are starting to find their defensive shape, especially with Casemiro improving considerably in the last few weeks. However, the away side’s scoring woes might deter them from winning the first leg. The Hard Tackle predicts Thursday’s game to end in a 1-1 draw, with Rayan Cherki and Bruno Fernandes delivering the goods.
