Lyon vs Fenerbahçe – News and Probable Lineups

After a tense draw in the first leg last week, Lyon and Fenerbahce will face off again on Wednesday night, as their Champions League playoff wraps up in França.

Advancement to this season’s league phase will come down to the wire, with the losing team relegated to the Europa League.

Match overview

Competing for one of the remaining seven spots in Europe’s elite competition, Lyon visited Istanbul for the first leg last week, during which Lois Openda’s opener briefly silenced the crowd at Stadyumu Sukru Saracoglu.

Despite Fenerbahce’s equalizer later in the match, the away draw leaves the French side just one victory away from entering the Champions League’s main phase.

Lyon’s latest participation in this tournament was back in 2019, where they reached the semi-finals before being defeated by eventual champions Bayern Munich. However, they have begun to show signs of resurgence lately.

Gradually recovering from financial difficulties, Les Gones finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season and advanced to the last 16 of the Europa League under the astute management of Paulo Fonseca.

Fonseca, who has previously guided clubs like Shakhtar Donetsk and Roma through extensive continental campaigns, also navigated his team past Sparta Prague in this season’s third qualifying round.

A decisive 3-0 victory at home helped overturn their deficit from the first leg; then, after managing a hard-fought draw in Turkiye, they secured a 2-0 win against Toulouse in their opening Ligue 1 match.

While much has changed since their dominance in French football, history favors them going into midweek, having won five out of their last six two-legged ties in Champions League qualifying.

Lyon also recorded four victories against Fener during the now-defunct group stage before they played to a goalless draw in the 2024-25 Europa League.

Having experienced nine losses in qualifying rounds since making their sixth appearance in 2008, Fenerbahce is desperate to reach the main phase of the Champions League.

Last year, they were eliminated by Benfica around the same time, a setback that led to Jose Mourinho’s dramatic departure and Domenico Tedesco’s arrival.

Despite Tedesco’s efforts, Fener lost out to Galatasaray once again, finishing second to their fierce city rivals in the Super Lig.

Tedesco has since been replaced by Ismail Kartal, who led the Yellow Canaries past Gornik Zabrze and Sturm Graz in qualifying rounds two and three, only to face a significant setback at the domestic level.

Despite Talisca scoring for the fifth consecutive match, Fener began their latest league campaign with a surprising 2-1 loss to Genclerbirligi, increasing pressure on Kartal’s lavishly assembled squad.

Failing to secure a win against Lyon was met with further criticism, but a 4-2 triumph over Konyaspor last Saturday should provide them with some temporary relief.

Team News

Lyon’s head coach Fonseca made significant rotations to his squad over the weekend, but key players such as Tyler Morton and captain Corentin Tolisso are expected to return for the crucial fixture on Wednesday.

However, centre-back Moussa Niakhate is battling an ankle issue and may need to sit this one out.

On a more positive note, star player Pavel Sulc has fully recovered from a knee injury, and Argentina international Nicolas Tagliafico is now available following his post-World Cup break.

While Openda is likely to lead the attack for the hosts, it remains uncertain who will spearhead Fener’s front line.

Both Lukaku and Vedat Muriqi possess a strong physical presence up top, but Talisca could be transitioned into a false nine role, allowing Marco Asensio to play just behind.

Talisca has netted four of his team’s six goals in the qualifiers and recently added another in the Super Lig; also in contention, Nene Doregles impressed as a substitute last week, nearly scoring with a hit on the post.

In other news, Jayden Oosterwolde is set to transfer to Roma, Caglar Soyuncu is dealing with a muscular issue, and goalkeeper Mert Gunok remains sidelined.

With Gunok unavailable, Ederson took over the gloves for the first leg and maintained his starting position against Konyaspor.

Lyon probable starting XI:

Greif; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Kluivert, Abner; Morton, Tolisso; Nuamah, Sulc, Fofana; Openda

Fenerbahce probable starting XI:

Ederson; Semedo, Skriniar, Ake, Brown; Kante, Guendouzi; Greenwood, Asensio, Akturkoglu; Talisca

It seems there could be more heartbreak for Fener, who have built an impressive squad but appeared vulnerable in the initial leg.

Lyon stands poised to secure a place in the league phase, bolstered by the steady guidance of Fonseca, whose team has proven very difficult to defeat on home soil.