A disappointing result, but an encouraging performance. Palace’s first-half shortcomings proved costly, yet their resilience, attacking intent and refusal to give in suggest there is plenty more to come from this European adventure.
MATCH INFORMATION
| 5.45pm – 15 October 2026 |
| Lyon 3-2 Crystal Palace |
| UEFA Europa League |
| Groupama Stadium |
OFFICIALS
| Referee | Joao Pedro Silva PINHEIRO (POR) |
| VAR | Tiago Bruno Lopes MARTINS (POR) |
| Assistant Referees | Luciano Antonio Gomes da MAIA (POR) |
| Fourth Official | Hugo Manual Freire MARQUES (POR) |
| Assistant VAR | Cesar Soto GRADO (POR) |
PLAYER RATINGS
Crystal Palace
| 44 | Walter BENITEZ | 5.7 |
| 30 | Oscar MINGUEZA | 6.3 |
| 3 | Tyrick MITCHELL | 6.4 |
| 5 | Axel DISASI | 6.4 |
| 26 | Chris RICHARDS | 6.1 |
| 6 | Jaydee CANVOT | 7.1 |
| 23 | Quinten TIMBER | 6.1 |
| 20 | Adam WHARTON © | 7.4 |
| 7 | Ismaila SARR | 6.2 |
| 10 | Yeremy PINO | 7.1 |
| 22 | Jorgen Strand LARSEN | 6.3 |
| 9 | Eddie NKETIAH (LARSEN 62 mins)) | 6.3 |
| 11 | Dwight MCNEIL (TIMBER 86 mins) | 6.0 |
| 18 | Daichi KAMADA (SARR 62 mins) | 7.5 |
| 19 | Will HUGHES | – |
| 21 | Honest AHANOR | – |
| 24 | Dario OSORIO (PINO 75 mins) | 6.0 |
| 25 | Anan KHALAILI (MINGUEZA 75 mins) | 6.1 |
| 31 | Remi MATTHEWS | – |
| 54 | Dean BENAMAR | – |
| 81 | Lucca BENETTON | – |
Olympique Lyonnais
| 1 | Dominik GREIF | 6.4 |
| 16 | Abner VINICIUS | 6.8 |
| 21 | Ruben KLUIVERT | 6.9 |
| 20 | Felix BACHER | 6.3 |
| 13 | Zachary ATHEKAME | 6.6 |
| 23 | Tyler MORTON | 6.8 |
| 99 | Noah NARTEY | 6.5 |
| 8 | Corentin TOLISSO © | 7.7 |
| 18 | Khalis MERAH | 6.7 |
| 7 | Ernest NUAMAH | 7.5 |
| 11 | Keito NAKAMURA | 8.2 |
| 2 | Mads BIDSTRUP (TOLISSO 90 mins) | 6.1 |
| 6 | Tanner TESSMANN (NARTEY 78 mins) | 6.1 |
| 10 | Pavel SULC (MERAH 70 mins) | 6.9 |
| 19 | Moussa NIAKHATE | – |
| 22 | Clinton MATA | – |
| 24 | Julien DURANVILLE | – |
| 25 | Justin BENGUI | – |
| 26 | Kail BOUDACHE (NUAMAH 70 mins) | 6.1 |
| 37 | Steeve KANGO | – |
| 40 | Remy DESCAMPS | – |
| 45 | Remi HIMBERT | – |
| 85 | Noham KAMARA | – |
POST GAME QUOTES
PIERRE SAGE
“The scoreline may have been close, but there was a big difference in the way the two teams played. We were nowhere near our usual standards in the first half. We improved considerably after the break and gave ourselves a chance but conceding that third goal made things difficult. Our second-half efforts deserved an equaliser, although winning would have been a generous reward given that we only really played for one half.
They made us hesitate between pressing the ball and covering the space in behind. Whenever we stepped forward, we risked leaving gaps for their attacking players to exploit. It was a clever tactical approach from their coach and it caused us problems. In games like this, the more you impose your own game, the less trouble you’re likely to face.”
AXEL DISASI
“We didn’t start the game well, but we responded in the second half. We pressed high, won the ball back in dangerous areas and created chances. We managed to pull it back to 3-2 and had opportunities towards the end, so it’s frustrating not to have got something from the game. We showed much more intent and personality and put together some good passages of play. We have to build on that and learn from what didn’t go well.”
MATCH STATISTICS
| Star Man | Keito NAKAMURA (8.2) |
| Goals | Corentin TOLISSO (8), Ernest NUAMAH (45+1), Yeremy PINO (50), Pavel SULC (76), Daichi KAMADA (81) |
| Assists | Keito NAKAMURA (45+1), Adam WHARTON (50) |
| Most shots | Jorgen Strand LARSEN (4) |
| Most tackles | Zachary ATHEKAME (5) |
| Most dribbles | Keito NAKAMURA, Tyrick MITCHELL, Daichi KAMADA, Eddie NKETIAH (2) |
| Team rating | 6.71 – 6.43 |
| Total shots | 11 – 12 |
| Shots on target | 4 – 4 |
| Yellow cards | Ismaila SARR (36), Yeremy PINO (56), Keito NAKAMURA (58), Chris RICHARDS (82) |
| Red cards | None |
| Possession | 50.8% – 49.2% |
| Pass success | 87% – 86% |
| Passes | 491 – 483 |
| Dribbles | 4 – 11 |
| Aerials won | 10 – 8 |
| Tackles | 9 – 13 |
| Fouls | 4 – 8 |
| Corners | 5 – 3 |
| Saves | 2 – 1 |
| Dispossessed | 8 – 3 |
TEB VERDICT
There are defeats that leave you frustrated, and there are defeats that leave you encouraged. This was very much a mixture of the two.
Palace looked second best in the first half, Lyon were sharper, more composed in possession and punished Palace’s defensive lapses to establish a deserved lead at the break. The Eagles failed to register a meaningful attacking threat during the opening period and were fortunate not to be further behind.
Yet what followed after the interval showed exactly why this Palace side belongs on the European stage. Yeremy Pino’s excellent finish brought belief flooding back into the team, and from that moment the visitors matched one of France’s strongest sides punch for punch.
The decisive moment came when substitute Pavel Sulc restored Lyon’s two-goal advantage with just over a quarter of an hour remaining. Palace refused to fold, however, and Daichi Kamada’s late strike ensured a nervy finale, with the Eagles pushing for an equaliser that ultimately never arrived.
The biggest positive for Palace will be the character shown away from home. Many teams would have crumbled at 2-0 down in a hostile European atmosphere, but Pierre Sage’s side fought back twice and were unfortunate not to come away with at least a point.
While the result ends Palace’s perfect start to their Europa League campaign, there should be no panic. Lyon are a high-quality opponent, and the Eagles demonstrated they can compete at this level. Tightening up defensively and avoiding slow starts will be key, but the second-half performance provides plenty of reasons for optimism ahead of the next European test.
LEAGUE POSITION
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
| 14 | Dinamo Zagreb | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 16 | AC Milan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
UPCOMING FIXTURES
| DATE | TEAM | LOCATION | COMPETITION | KICK OFF TIME |
| 18/10/2026 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Away | Premier League | 2pm |
| 22/10/2026 | Besiktas | Away | Europa League | 8pm |
| 25/10/2026 | Newcastle United | Home | Premier League | 2pm |
