Crystal Palace continue their Europa League campaign on Thursday evening when they visit Lyon in the second matchday of the league phase. Kick-off at the Groupama Stadium is scheduled for 18:45.
The Eagles made an emphatic start to their European campaign, defeating Lech Poznan 4-0 in their opening fixture. They now face a Lyon side that also began with a victory, winning 2-1 away at Anderlecht.
The fixture carries a personal significance for Palace head coach Pierre Sage, who returns to the stadium after leading Lyon for more than a year. Sage took charge of the French club during a difficult period in December 2023 before guiding them to sixth place and European qualification.
Palace will be without Jean-Philippe Mateta for the trip. The French forward is the only Eagles absentee specifically identified ahead of the match in the supplied team news.
Lyon are also dealing with several unavailable players. Nicolas Tagliafico, Mohamed Ouédraogo and Loïs Openda are set to miss out, while Moussa Niakhaté has returned to the squad after being absent for the defeat by Lens in Ligue 1.
Despite their strong European opening, Palace are 12th in the domestic league, making Thursday’s meeting an opportunity to build on their 4-0 win and continue their positive start in Europe.
