Celta Vigo vs Lyon – News and Probable Lineups

In their first encounter on the European stage, Celta Vigo hosts Lyon at Balaidos in Galicia for the first leg of their round of 16 Europa League match on Thursday.

Celta advanced after securing two narrow victories against PAOK in the playoffs, while Lyon topped the League Phase table, gaining automatic qualification to the last 16.

Match overview

Two hard-fought wins against a well-organized and disciplined Greek side have propelled Celta Vigo into the last 16 of this tournament for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Three out of the last five competitive matches for Claudio Giraldez’s side have been settled by a single goal, with Celta winning on three occasions.

They approach this fixture unbeaten in their last four Europa League matches, having dropped points only once during that stretch (drawing 1-1 at Red Star Belgrade).

Additionally, four of the five home matches played in this tournament ended with victories for Celta, although three of their four competitive losses in 2026 have also occurred at Balaidos.

This match will be their first knockout game in this competition since they reached the semi-finals in the 2016-17 Europa League, where they suffered both of their knockout defeats at home.

Os Celestes hold a perfect record against French teams in the Europa League, having beaten Lille and Nice at home in the League Phase this season, both by 2-1 margins.

After an almost flawless League Phase, Olympique Lyonnais is set to return to European competition, although their domestic form has been shaky recently.

Paulo Fonseca’s squad managed to win seven out of their eight matches in the previous phase of the tournament but come into Thursday’s match without a victory in their last four competitive outings.

This marks the second consecutive time they’ve reached this stage of the Europa League, and out of their last five appearances in the round of 16, they have only been eliminated once, by CSKA Moscow in 2018.

Lyon remains unbeaten in their last six Europa League knockout matches played away from home in regular time; their only defeat was a heartbreaking extra-time loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford during last season’s quarter-finals.

Their sole defeat in this season’s competition came away in Spain against Real Betis in November (2-0); however, they have never lost a knockout match against a La Liga side in the Europa League.

Team News

As they approach this match, Celta Vigo is in relatively good health, with just one injury concern; Pablo Duran Fernandez is managing a knee ligament issue, making him doubtful for Thursday’s clash.

Williot Swedberg was instrumental, scoring two of Celta’s three goals in their knockout playoff tie, including the decisive one in the second leg at home, while Ionut Radu did not face a single shot on target for the clean sheet.

Lyon’s injury list includes Afonso Moreira and Pavel Sulc, both suffering from hamstring strains, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles is dealing with adductor pain, Malick Fofana is recovering from an ankle issue, Ruben Kluivert has a muscle problem, and Ernest Nuamah is ruled out with a cruciate ligament injury.

In their previous Europa League win over PAOK (4-2), Remi Stephane Himbert, Khalis Merah, Adam Karabec, and Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez all contributed on the scoresheet, with Rodriguez having been loaned to Ligue 2 club Annecy in early February.

Celta Vigo probable starting XI:

Radu; Rodriguez, Starfelt, Alonso, Carreira; Vecino; Aspas, Moriba; Rueda, Iglesias, Swedberg

Lyon probable starting XI:

Count; Eyes, Heart, Heart; Tagliafico, Tessmann, Nartey, Abner; Karabec, Tolisso; Yaremchuk

Patience is key, and both teams exhibit it well while maintaining strong defensive organization, leading us to expect this opening match to serve as more of a tactical battle between the two sides.