Lyon take on the visitors Manchester United in the first leg of UEFA Europa League quarterfinals. The match will be played on Thursday, April 10th at Parc Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon).
Lyon managed to experience both a deep crisis and an impressive resurgence last season, ultimately securing a place in European competition. The unexpected hero of that turnaround was little-known coach Pierre Sage. However, this season, Sage was dismissed in late January after a five-game winless streak. His replacement, Paulo Fonseca, quickly ran into trouble, receiving a lengthy domestic ban in early March after lashing out at a referee. Interestingly, despite the ban, the Portuguese manager continues to work — he simply cannot be present at Ligue 1 matches. In Europe, however, he’s free to lead from the bench, and his side dismantled Steaua convincingly: 3-1 away in Romania and 4-0 at home. Lyon have shown attacking confidence on the continental stage, and their home form has been particularly impressive in knockout ties.
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Manchester United can only save their season here. The Red Devils already collapsed last season — finishing last in their Champions League group and slipping to eighth in the Premier League — but Erik ten Hag managed to stay in charge thanks to one bright spot: winning the FA Cup. This season, though, he was sacked in the autumn, deservedly so, as the team performed poorly despite a summer of heavy investment. Unfortunately for United fans, things have gone from bad to worse under Rúben Amorim. The club crashed out of domestic cups, and their league campaign continues to spiral with a string of unwanted records. Only in the Europa League have United shown signs of revival without the Dutchman. They topped their group to qualify directly for the Round of 16, where they faced an experienced and hungry Real Sociedad side. After a 1-1 draw in San Sebastián, they returned to Old Trafford and crushed the Spaniards 4-1, thanks to a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick. Notably, United went behind early but turned the match around with two penalties that shifted momentum completely.
The clubs previously met in 2004 and 2008. Both times, Manchester United drew high-scoring games away and then edged narrow home wins. The odds are considered even, especially by bookmakers in France. However, with Lyon playing at home, the edge may be theirs — take them to win with a 0 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Lyon to win with 0.0 handicap.
