Europa League

2025-04-10 - Lyon vs Manchester United

A Sports Betting Pick by Auls

Lyon v Manchester United
Football: UEFA Europa League Quarter Final First Leg
Thursday 10th April 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV

Lyon

They may not be the club that they once were in France, but Lyon are still fighting to return to the Champions League on two fronts. Sitting in 5th place in the French domestic top flight and just 2 points behind the Champions League spots is one avenue back into the top UEFA competition, while Lyon have made it through to the Europa League Quarter Final with the team lifting the trophy also earning a spot in the Champions League.

Finishing in the top eight of the League Phase helped Lyon through to the Last 16 and they were crushing winners over FCSB with three or more goals scored in both Legs. The home Leg is going to be important for both teams in this Quarter Final and Lyon have won 3 of their 5 home Europa League games played this season.

Lyon have won 8 of their last 10 games in all competitions, while the 2 losses suffered in that time have been against Paris Saint-Germain and Strasbourg. Since losing to the French Champions 2-3 in late February, Lyon have won 4 in a row at home and have scored at least twice in each of those wins.

There are a number of former Premier League players in the Lyon squad, including Nemanja Matic who faces one of his former clubs.

Manchester United

There has been one or two people out there making unjustified criticisms of Manchester United after the goalless draw with Manchester City in the derby on Sunday. Ruben Amorim did not really bite back against the ex-players in the media who seemed to be more disappointed with Manchester United, rather than the Champions League chasing Manchester City team who had been second best on the day.

The manager and the players will be well aware that there are plenty ready to stick the knife in if Manchester United are eliminated in the Europa League and that does build pressure. However, they are unbeaten in the Europa League this season and Manchester United beat Real Sociedad 5-2 on aggregate in the Last 16. 5 away Europa League games played been played this season and 3 have ended in draws.

Manchester United have lost 1 of their last 9 games in all competitions following the draw in the derby on Sunday, although they have failed to score in consecutive matches. The away form has been much more disappointing of late with a single win in 5 on their travels in all competitions, although Manchester United have lost only twice in that run.

Matthijs de Ligt is hoping to be available for selection. The likes of Mason Mount and Luke Shaw are edging closer to starts, although unlikely to be risked this week.

Head to Head

Lyon and Manchester United have met in four previous competitive matches and it is the English Premier League club who are unbeaten and with 2 wins on the board.

Both games hosted by Lyon have ended in draws with the most recent played in the 2007/08 Champions League Knock Out Rounds.

Prediction

This is a big Quarter Final for both Lyon and Manchester United, although both clubs will remember a time that this would have been a Champions League tie rather than one played in the Europa League.

Both finished in the top eight in the League Phase and relatively comfortable wins were produced in the Last 16.

Lyon have been playing with a big more consistency in their domestic League, but they will also accept that the French top flight is not nearly as strong as the English Premier League. However, the performance in the 2-3 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and the way the French League leaders have played against opponents from England will offer Lyon plenty of encouragement.

The home Leg is very important for Lyon as they look for any kind of advantage to take to Manchester in seven days time.

Wins have been racked up since the loss to Paris Saint-Germain, while Lyon have been scoring a lot of goals in those victories. They did the same in 3 of their 5 home wins in the Europa League this season and Lyon will certainly believe they can offer some threat to this Manchester United team.

Ruben Amorim was pleased with the defensive shape in the draw with Manchester City on Sunday, but is also aware that more is needed in the final third. However, the players have played with more confidence in the Europa League and found a way to score goals, both home and away, which will offer Manchester United plenty of reason to believe they can earn a positive result to bring back to Old Trafford.

The first goal will be important in this fixture, but you have to feel Lyon can only approach this with attacking intent.

This should help the fixture as a spectacle and the feeling is that there will be at least three goals shared out.