Lyon vs Man Utd: Tips, Odds, and Match Preview

Lyon have experienced a dramatic turnaround over the last 18 months. The Ligue 1 giants, one of the top teams in Europe in the early 2000s, were close to being relegated midway through the 2023-24 campaign. Still, they found a way to sneak into the UEFA Europa League based on their league position and now sit among the eight best teams in the competition.

Manchester United have been the opposite, and the club seems to be trending in the wrong direction in every way fans can think of. The days of competing for the Premier League seem to be a distant memory for the Old Trafford club. Still, they have one final chance of winning silverware in Ruben Amorim’s first season in this edition of the UEFA Europa League.

Lyon to Build a Fortress at Home?

Lyon have been playing at a high level at home in recent weeks and enter this game knowing they’ve won their last four at Parc Olympique Lyonnais while scoring at least two goals each time. Their most recent European match at home finished with a commanding 4-0 victory over FCSB.

Even though Lyon aren’t undefeated at home in the current European run, their record of three wins, one draw and one defeat should build enough confidence to get a good result here. However, that one loss came against the only team that could even sniff the quality of Manchester United — it was a 1-0 loss to Besiktas on 24 October during the league phase. It’s worth noting that their last three European matches at home have witnessed either over 2.5 total goals or both teams scoring.

Lyon Injury & Suspension News

Duje Caleta-Car (undisclosed) is a game-time call for this matchup. Malick Fofana (knee) is out, and Ernest Nuamah (knee, ACL) will miss the rest of the season.

A Glimpse of Hope in a Lost Season

Manchester United’s season has been rocky, to say the least. The team started the 2024-25 campaign under the tutelage of Erik ten Hag, but the Dutchman was fired amid a stretch of negative results. Ruben Amorim hasn’t fared much better, but the Portuguese will be given time to build the squad for 2025-26. And even with all the ups and downs, Amorim has the Red Devils in the final stages of the Europa League.

While the overall season results aren’t encouraging for Manchester United, it’s worth noting that the team might be slowly turning a corner. They’re coming off a scoreless draw against Manchester City the last time out, and they’ve lost just two of their last 10 matches in all competitions when counting the regular 90 minutes (W3, D5, L2). The lack of firepower has been an issue, though, with six of those contests ending with under 2.5 total goals.

Manchester United Injury & Suspension News

Manchester United have quite a few injury concerns. Matthijs de Ligt (undisclosed), Jonny Evans (undisclosed), Ayden Heaven (foot), Kobbie Mainoo (undisclosed) and Luke Shaw (calf) have an outside chance of being available, but it wouldn't be surprising if neither ends up making it for this midweek clash. Amad Diallo (ankle) and Lisandro Martinez (knee) will miss the rest of the season.

Lyon vs Manchester United Prediction

Neither Lyon nor Manchester United are known for their attacking power, and it wouldn’t be surprising if both teams employ a relatively cautious approach in this first leg. Manchester United will probably aim to close out the tie at Old Trafford in the return leg, and it’s unclear if Lyon have enough quality to get past United’s defensive line, even if de Ligt ends up being sidelined. Based on that, this game could end as a low-scoring affair.

CryptoGamba tip: Under 2.5 goals – 1.97 @Wild.io