Real Sociedad vs Lyon – News and Probable Lineups

The Anoeta Stadium will be the setting for an intriguing Europa League tie on Thursday, with Real Sociedad hosting Lyon in the group stage of the competition.

Real Sociedad currently sits 14th in the overall standings, having secured four points from three fixtures, while Lyon stands at 12th place, accumulating six points from their three games.

Match overview

Real Sociedad displayed a strong performance in their most recent Europa League match on October 22, achieving a resounding 6-0 win against Lillestrom, following a 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth and a 1-1 draw against Union SG in this season’s group stage.

Securing four points from three matches has placed them in 14th in the league table, and they have subsequent fixtures against Crystal Palace, Torreense, Viktoria Plzen, and Juventus.

Coming into this match, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team is looking to bounce back after a 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby, so they are likely to be motivated for the game on Thursday.

The White and Sky Blues advanced to the last-16 phase of the Europa League during their last campaign in 2024-25, and it would be unexpected if they fail to make a deep run in this season’s tournament given their level of talent.

Real Sociedad has triumphed in three of their last four contests across all competitions, and their defeat in the Basque derby on Sunday marked their first loss since September 17.

Lyon, on the other hand, arrives at this fixture after a 2-0 victory over Angers in Ligue 1, which followed a couple of setbacks for the French side.

One of those setbacks occurred in their last European outing, where they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Hoffenheim on October 22, which came on the heels of a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.

Paulo Fonseca’s squad also won their opening match in this season’s Europa League group stage, edging past Anderlecht with a score of 2-1, thus totaling six points from three matches, placing them 12th in the league ahead of the upcoming round of matches.

Lyon reached the last-16 bracket of the 2025-26 Europa League before being eliminated by Celta Vigo, and they reached the quarter-finals during the 2024-25 season, losing to Manchester United.

Les Gones will also face Lillestrom, Union SG, Jagiellonia, and Bayer Leverkusen before the conclusion of the group stage in the Europa League.

Team News

For Thursday’s match, Real Sociedad will be missing Luken Beitia, Alvaro Odriozola, and Arsen Zakharyan due to injuries.

Luka Sucic currently leads the team in scoring this season, having netted six goals in 13 appearances, and he is expected to maintain his position in the forward line.

Additionally, World Cup winner Mikel Oyarzabal from Spain is anticipated to start in the attacking role.

On the Lyon side, injuries mean Nicolas Tagliafico, Mohamed Ouedraogo, Tyler Morton, Pavel Sulc, and Lois Openda will be unavailable for this European matchup.

Noah Nartey has been a key player for Lyon this season with two goals from midfield, and the 21-year-old is set to be included in the starting XI.

It is also likely that Keito Nakamura will feature in an attacking position.

Real Sociedad probable starting XI:

Marrero; Zubeldia, Martin, Sarr, Gomez; Kubo, Gorrotxategi, Soler, Guedes; Sucic, Oyarzabal

Lyon probable starting XI:

Greif; Kango, Bacher, Mata, Kluivert; Nartey, Tessmann, Bidstrup; Boudache, Himbert, Nakamura

This match presents a challenging scenario to predict; however, Real Sociedad may benefit from their home advantage, potentially earning three crucial points on Thursday evening.