Olympique Lyonnais has performed well in the Europa League despite ongoing financial struggles. With three wins out of their first five matches, including notable victories over Olympiakos, Rangers, and Qarabag, Lyon currently sits in 7th place in the standings.
Although they experienced a narrow 0-1 defeat to Besiktas and a 2-2 draw with Hoffenheim, their goal is still to secure a top-eight finish, which would allow them to progress directly to the round of 16 without the need for playoffs.
Domestically, Lyon has recovered after a slow start, remaining unbeaten since late September. They recently earned a 4-1 win over OGC Nice and will look to continue their good form against Angers this weekend, though they face a tough challenge on Thursday.
Eintracht Frankfurt, currently 3rd in the Europa League with 13 points from 15, has also been in strong form. After a 3-3 draw with Viktoria Plzen in their opener, the German club won all their subsequent matches, including victories over Besiktas, Rigas FC, Slavia Prague, and Midtjylland.
Frankfurt is also performing well in the Bundesliga, where they sit in 2nd place behind Bayern Munich. They will be aiming to extend their winning streak with a victory over Augsburg this weekend. The team’s attacking strength, led by Egyptian forward Marmoush and former Paris Saint-Germain player Hugo Ekitike, has been a key factor in their success this season.
For Lyon, key players such as Benrahma, Mikautadze, Lacazette, Tolisso, and Cherki are expected to play. However, they will be without former goalkeeper Lopes, who has been excluded from the squad. Eintracht Frankfurt is nearly at full strength, with only backup striker Amenda potentially unavailable.
Prediction
Both teams have shown a tendency to play matches with three or fewer goals, with Lyon recording 17 such games in their last 19 and Eintracht Frankfurt having 17 in their last 21 Europa League games. Therefore, a 1-1 draw seems like a reasonable prediction for this highly competitive fixture.
