On Thursday, April 10th, the Groupama Stadium will host the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals between Olympique Lyon and Manchester United. Despite a somewhat underwhelming domestic campaign so far, the French side is still in the running for a European qualification spot in Ligue 1 and will be aiming to secure their first-ever international trophy through this competition. Paulo Fonseca’s squad had an impressive group stage campaign, finishing second with 15 points, and convincingly dispatched FCSB in the Round of 16 with 3-1 and 4-0 victories. Meanwhile, Manchester United has arguably performed even better in the Europa League. With hopes for a European spot in the Premier League fading, the Red Devils have thrown all their weight behind this tournament. After finishing third in their group behind Athletic Bilbao and Lazio, they went on to eliminate Real Sociedad in the Round of 16. Rúben Amorim’s team knows that winning the Europa League is likely their only path to European football next season—and it's not an impossible mission, considering that Manchester United remains the only unbeaten team in the competition.

Olympique Lyon's Recent Form and Key Statistics

Lyon comes into this fixture after a 2-1 win over Lille in Ligue 1, with goals from Lacazette and Cherki. That victory propelled them to 5th place in the league, just two points shy of the third Champions League spot.

Over their last 5 matches in all competitions, Lyon boasts 4 wins and 1 draw, scoring 14 goals and conceding 7 (averages of 2.8 scored and 1.4 conceded per match).

At home, Lyon is on a streak of 4 consecutive wins across all competitions, scoring at least 2 goals in each and keeping a clean sheet in just one of them—against FCSB in the Europa League. So far in this season's Europa League at the Groupama Stadium, their record stands at 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, with 10 goals scored and 4 conceded.

Manchester United's Recent Form and Key Statistics

Manchester United is coming off a goalless draw in the Premier League Manchester Derby against Manchester City. It’s been a mixed run for Amorim’s side, who have recorded 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their last 5 games—losing only away to Nottingham Forest.

The attack has been underwhelming lately, failing to score in the last two games, though the defense has improved, conceding just 3 goals in their last 5 outings.

Away from home, United has been shaky: 2 defeats, 2 draws, and just 1 win in their last 5 road games. That lone win came in a 3-0 victory over Leicester, who are currently battling relegation. In contrast, their Europa League away form is excellent, with 2 wins and 3 draws, scoring 9 and conceding 6.

Olympique Lyon vs Manchester United Prediction and Tactical Overview

This Europa League quarter-final clash between Lyon and Manchester United promises to be a tight and balanced encounter, with both teams currently among the best-performing sides in the tournament.

Lyon has scored in 13 consecutive matches, while United leads the Europa League in Expected Goals (xG) with 2.17 per game—an indicator of their attacking threat.

Tactical setups: Fonseca is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring Cherki, Tolisso, and Almada behind striker Lacazette, who has already netted 14 goals this season. Amorim should stick with his 3-4-2-1 formation, with Garnacho and Zirkzee supporting Rasmus Højlund up front.

Given both teams' attacking strengths and recent Europa League trends, the prediction for Olympique Lyon vs Manchester United from the BetMines algorithm suggests a match with over 2.5 goals.

• The BetMines prediction for the Olympique Lyon vs Manchester United match predicts Over 2.5 goals at 63%.
• The BetMines prediction for the Olympique Lyon vs Manchester United match predicts Under 2.5 goals at 37%.

Olympique Lyon vs Manchester United Predicted Lineups

OLYMPIQUE LYON (4-2-3-1): Perri; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhaté, Tagliafico; Tessmann, Veretout; Cherki, Tolisso, Almada; Lacazette. Coach: Fonseca

MANCHESTER UNITED (3-4-2-1): Onana; Mazraoui, de Ligt, Maguire; Dalot, Fernandes, Ugarte, Dorgu; Zirkzee, Garnacho; Højlund. Coach: Amorim