Preview: Celta Vigo vs Lyon – prediction, team news, lineups

Meeting for the primary time on the European stage, Celta Vigo welcome Lyon to Balaidos within the Spanish neighborhood of Galicia for the opening leg of that spherical of 16 Europa League tie on Thursday.

Thanks to a pair of 1-objective victories over PAOK within the playoff part, the Spaniards had been in a position to advance, whereas Lyon completed on prime of the League Phase desk, incomes an computerized place within the final 16.

Match preview

A pair of slender victories in opposition to a properly-structured and disciplined Greek facet has taken Celta Vigo into the final 16 of this match for the primary time since 2016-17.

Four of the earlier 5 aggressive video games performed by Claudio Giraldez’s males have been determined by a single objective, with Vigo successful on three of these events.

They will enter this contest unbeaten of their final 4 Europa League encounters, dropping factors solely as soon as over that stretch (1-1 draw at Red Star Belgrade).

At the identical time, 4 of their 5 matches performed at dwelling on this match led to a victory for Celta, although three of their 4 aggressive defeats in 2026 have additionally come at Belaidos.

Thursday will mark their first knockout recreation on this competitors since reaching the semi-finals of the 2016-17 Europa League, with their solely two knockout defeats in that version coming at dwelling.

Os Celestes have a 100% file in opposition to French opposition within the Europa League, defeating Lille and Nice at dwelling within the League Phase this season by 2-1 scores.

© Iconsport / Nikola Kristic

Following a close to-flawless League Phase, Olympique Lyonnais return to European motion this week, in tough type domestically of late.

Paulo Fonseca’s males gained seven of their eight matches within the earlier part of this match however will enter Thursday’s motion and not using a win of their final 4 aggressive fixtures.

This is the second successive time that they’ve reached this stage of the Europa League, whereas this team have solely been eradicated as soon as of their earlier 5 appearances within the spherical of 16, falling to CSKA Moscow in 2018.

Lyon haven’t misplaced any of their earlier six Europa League knockout affairs away from dwelling in regular time, with that lone defeat coming at Old Trafford to Manchester United in a heartbreaking second-leg quarter-last additional-time outing final season.

Their solely defeat within the competitors this season got here in Spain in opposition to Real Betis in November (2-0), although they’ve by no means misplaced a knockout fixture in opposition to a La Liga opponent within the Europa League.

Celta Vigo Europa League type:

Celta Vigo type (all competitions):

Lyon Europa League type:

Lyon type (all competitions):

Team News

© Iconsport / Pedro Mina / PRESSIN

Heading into this fixture, Celta Vigo are comparatively wholesome, with just one harm to report as Pablo Duran Fernandez remains to be coping with a knee ligament downside, leaving him uncertain for Thursday.

Williot Swedberg scored two of their three targets of their knockout playoff tie, together with the winner within the second leg at dwelling, whereas Ionut Radu didn’t need to make a single cease for the clear sheet.

At Lyon, Afonso Moreira and Pavel Sulc have hamstring strains, Ainsley Maitland-Niles has adductor ache, Malick Fofana is recovering from a sore ankle, Ruben Kluivert is coping with a muscle situation and Ernest Nuamah will probably be sidelined with a cruciate ligament harm.

Remi Stephane Himbert, Khalis Merah, Adam Karabec and Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez all scored of their earlier Europa League conquer PAOK (4-2), with the latter loaned to Ligue 2 facet Annecy in early February.

Celta Vigo potential beginning lineup:

Radu; Rodriguez, Starfelt, Alonso, Carreira; Vecino; Aspas, Moriba; Rueda, Iglesias, Swedberg

Lyon potential beginning lineup:

Greif; Mata, Niakhate, Hateboer; Tagliafico, Tessmann, Nartey, Abner; Karabec, Tolisso; Yaremchuk

We say: Celta Vigo 0-0 Lyon

Patience is a advantage, and each groups show loads of that and are every properly-disciplined defensively, thus, we anticipate this opening match to be extra of a really feel-out affair between the 2.

For knowledge evaluation of the most certainly outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click here.