Manchester United head to France on Thursday night to face Olympique Lyon at Groupama Stadium in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
Still hoping to end a miserable season on a high, United will be keen to bag a decent result behind enemy lines.
The two sides have met four times before in the Champions League, with their last clash coming in 2008 – the same year United lifted the trophy.
However, this will be the first time they’ll lock horns in the Europa League, and both sides have all to play for, with a place in the last four up for grabs.
UEFA Europa League final tickets are already on sale at Seatsnet.com, and it’ll be intriguing to see if any of these sides will make it to the showpiece in Bilbao.
Match Preview
Five days after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, United failed to bounce back in the Premier League, playing out a goalless draw with rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The much-anticipated derby lacked the spark and energy of past meetings, leaving fans on both sides frustrated by a match that offered little in terms of excitement or quality.
United boss Ruben Amorim attempted to temper expectations, reminding supporters that neither Manchester club is currently performing at the peak of their powers.
However, many Red Devils fans were disappointed by the flat display from a team Amorim insists is showing signs of progress.
United fans haven’t had plenty to cheer for in the Premier League this season.
The Red Devils are perched in 13th place with just 38 points from 31 games and are on course for their worst-ever Premier League finish.
European qualification via the Premier League is an unrealistic target for Man United, considering they’re trailing the top half of the table by seven points.
On the plus side, the Europa League is still up for grabs. Amorim’s troops are yet to taste defeat in the competition this season (W6, D4) – recently seeing off Real Sociedad 5-2 on aggregate in the last 16.
Bruno Fernandes led the charge with a captain’s performance, bagging a hat-trick in the second leg as United ran out 4-1 winners.
The Red Devils have lost just once in their last 21 Europa League matches – a 3-0 defeat to Sevilla in April 2023. That was the only game in that stretch where they failed to score.
United have also gone 11 consecutive first-leg knockout ties in Europe without defeat since a 1-0 loss to Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League.
Lyon have found their rhythm at a crucial point in the season, turning their campaign around with seven wins in their last 10 matches across all competitions.
After enduring a tough seven-game winless run between mid-January and early February, the French side have bounced back in style, winning six of their last seven and scoring 19 goals in the process.
Their latest triumph came in a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Lille on Saturday.
Despite falling behind, goals from former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette and highly sought-after talent Rayan Cherki helped Lyon pick up all three points.
While head coach Paulo Fonseca continues to serve a nine-month suspension for confronting a referee, assistant Jorge Maciel has stepped in confidently.
Under his guidance, Lyon currently sit fifth in Ligue 1, just two points off the top three and a direct ticket to next season’s Champions League, with six matches left to play.
On the European front, Lyon finished sixth in the revamped Europa League’s format – three places behind United – before comfortably dispatching FCSB 7-1 on aggregate in the last 16.
They are now chasing a first European semi-final appearance since their 2019/20 Champions League run.
However, their record against United should temper expectations ahead of their eagerly anticipated meeting.
Lyon have yet to beat United in four meetings, drawing both home legs in 2004 and 2008. Barcelona are the only team they’ve faced more often in Europe without coming away with a win (eight).
Lyon’s terrible record against United goes beyond the Red Devils.
English clubs have been their Achilles Heel in the past – Les Gones have lost their last three two-legged ties against English clubs.
This game is poised to produce plenty of talking points, so fans will be keen to buy Europa League tickets on Seatsnet.com to catch all the action live.
Key Stats
Lyon head into their clash with United still searching for their first win over the English giants in European competition.
In four previous meetings in major UEFA tournaments, the French side have drawn twice and lost twice.
Only against Barca have Lyon faced a team more often without a single victory (D3, L5).
However, Lyon have been building momentum in the Europa League.
They thrashed Romanian side FCSB 4-0 in the last 16 – their biggest European win since a similar scoreline against Apollon Limassol in November 2017.
It was a clear statement of intent as they chase a deep run in the competition.
So far this season, Lyon have scored 23 goals in this competition – a tally they’ve only bettered twice in major European campaigns (29 goals in 2004/05 and 28 in 2016/17).
Meanwhile, United head into another European campaign with a solid record behind them, especially in the Europa League.
The Red Devils have shown remarkable consistency, losing just one of their last 21 matches in the competition (W14, D6).
Their resilience extends to knockout stages across European competitions.
United have not lost the first leg in any of their last 11 major knockout ties since a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Barca in the Champions League back in April 2019.
Their last three away first-leg matches have all ended in draws.
United also have a pretty decent record against Lyon. The English club have visited their French counterparts twice in the Champions League and, on both occasions, came from behind to earn a draw.
They fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in 2004 and equalising after going 1-0 behind in 2008.
Team News
Lyon will be without Ernest Nuamah, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after picking up an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Malick Fofana is also sidelined with a knee problem.
As for United, Lisandro Martinez, Amad Diallo, Ayden Heaven, and Jonny Evans are all ruled out.
Lyon potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Lucas Perri; Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Clinton Mata, Moussa Niakhate, Nicolas Tagliafico; Jordan Veretout, Nemanja Matic; Rayan Cherki, Corentin Tolisso, Thiago Almada; Georges Mikautadze.
Man United potential starting line-up:
(3-4-2-1): Andre Onana; Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro; Diogo Dalot, Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro, Patrick Dorgu; Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho; Joshua Zirkzee.
