Lyon hosts FCSB in the Europa League round of 16, looking to capitalize on a 3-1 first-leg victory in Romania. With their recent form, including a 2-0 win over Nice, Lyon is sixth in Ligue 1 and aims for a strong European run. Historically, they have dominated FCSB, remaining unbeaten in five encounters. On the other hand, FCSB, despite injuries to key players, seeks to challenge Lyon’s home advantage. Lyon’s manager, Paulo Fonseca, faces no fitness issues, while FCSB welcomes back Valentin Cretu from suspension. Predictions lean towards a 2-0 win for Lyon, totaling 5-1 on aggregate.
Sports Mole offers a preview of Thursday’s Europa League showdown between Lyon and FCSB, complete with predictions, team news, and potential lineups.
With a significant advantage heading into this match, Lyon aims to wrap up their quarter-final spot at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, as they face FCSB in the second leg of their round of 16 Europa League tie.
Les Gones come into this matchup with a two-goal lead after earning a 3-1 victory in Romania last week.
Match preview
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While the scoreline might imply an easy win, Lyon faced challenges along the way, as a late double from Malik Fofana in the 86th and 89th minutes secured their hard-earned victory.
This marked their second consecutive win in all competitions, extending their streak with a 2-0 victory over Nice in Ligue 1 over the weekend.
The result positions Lyon sixth in the top-tier standings with 44 points from 25 matches, sitting just two points behind fifth-placed Lille and fourth-placed Monaco, currently in the Europa League and Champions League qualifying positions, respectively.
Progressing past Steaua could bring Lyon closer to their first-ever UEL title and direct entry into next season’s elite European competition, which will surely motivate them as they prepare for Thursday’s match.
Leveraging their two-goal advantage should be manageable, as history is on Paulo Fonseca‘s side, who extended their unbeaten streak against Steaua in significant European matches to five — four wins and one draw — with only Sparta Prague having faced them more without a defeat.
Lyon has lost just two of their last 17 European home games, with one of those losses occurring during this season’s league stage against Besiktas on October 24 last year.
Since then, Lyon’s only defeat at Parc Olympique Lyonnais has been a 3-2 loss to Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, leaving them with one blemish in their last ten home games across all competitions; their latest match saw them secure a 2-1 win against Brest.
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Prior to last week’s first-leg defeat, Steaua was on an eight-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, with five wins and three draws, including victories home and away against PAOK in the knockout playoff rounds — a momentum boost for their initial tie.
Nevertheless, Alexandru Baluta‘s equalizer in the 68th minute was short-lived, as Fofana’s late contributions dashed their hopes, leaving the Red and Blues with a daunting task to reach their first-ever quarter-final in this competition.
Their history in France adds to the difficulty, as Steaua has never claimed a victory in a significant European away match there, managing only one draw, and this will be their first trip since a 2-0 defeat to Lyon in the Champions League in November 2008.
On a brighter note, the visitors have shown improvement in their away performances in Europe, recently securing wins in their last two outings — a 3-2 victory at Qarabag in the league phase and a 2-1 triumph at PAOK during the playoffs — positioning them to potentially achieve three consecutive continental away wins for the first time.
FCSB approaches Thursday’s matchup following a 1-0 win over Universitatea Craiova last weekend, which helped them maintain a two-point lead at the top of the SuperLiga table.
Lyon Europa League form:
Lyon form (all competitions):
FCSB Europa League form:
FCSB form (all competitions):
Team News
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Manager Fonseca, currently serving a nine-month domestic touchline ban, will be allowed to lead his team from the sideline on Thursday.
The Portuguese coach boasts a fully fit squad, and with no injury worries, he might decide to retain the same XI that achieved the 3-1 win in Romania.
Rayan Cherki has been exceptional in this season’s Europa League, providing six assists — the highest in the competition — and will look to continue his impressive performance when positioned on the flank.
Conversely, Steaua has been hindered by injuries, with Darius Olaru, Mihai Lixandru, Octavian Popescu, Alexandru Pantea, William Baeten, and Daniel Bîrligea all unavailable for this match.
Bîrligea’s absence could lead to Florin Tanase returning to lead the attack, as he did in the first leg.
On a positive note, Valentin Cretu is back from suspension and is expected to reclaim his position at right-back, allowing Mihai Popescu to move to center-back, while Joyskim Dawa could be dropped from the starting lineup.
Lyon possible starting lineup:
Perri; Tagliafico, Niakhate, Mata, Maitland-Niles; Matic, Tessmann; Nuamah, Tolisso, Cherki, Mikautadze
FCSB possible starting lineup:
Tarnovanu; Radunovic, Popescu, Ngezana, Cretu; Sut, Alhassan; Cisotti, Edjouma, Miculesc; Tanase
Our prediction: Lyon 2-0 FCSB (Lyon to win 5-1 on aggregate)
Given their impressive home record and historical advantage in this matchup, Lyon is well positioned to secure another victory on Thursday, achieving advancement with wins in both legs.
For an analytical overview of the most likely outcomes, scorelines, and more for this match please click here.
