Lyon beat Crystal Palace 3-2 on Thursday in the Europa League, handing the Eagles their first defeat in the competition this season despite a much-improved second-half display in France.
Goals from Corentin Tolisso, Ernest Nuamah and Pavel Sulc secured the win for the hosts, while Yeremy Pino and Daichi Kamada replied for Palace.
A poor start leaves Palace chasing the game
Palace made a disastrous start to their first-ever away Europa League fixture, conceding after just eight minutes. Tolisso reacted quickest to a loose ball following Nuamah’s corner, and the early setback left Palace playing catch-up. Lyon controlled much of the first half and limited the visitors’ attacking opportunities. Ismaila Sarr threatened an equaliser with a header that was tipped over the bar, but the French side remained the more dangerous team.
Lyon doubled their lead shortly before half-time. Keito Nakamura created the opening for Nuamah, who finished clinically beyond Walter Benitez.
Palace respond after the interval
Palace came out with renewed purpose and reduced the deficit five minutes into the second half. Adam Wharton produced an excellent pass following a short corner, allowing Pino to fire emphatically into the roof of the net. The goal transformed the contest, and Palace began applying sustained pressure on the Lyon defence.
Jorgen Strand Larsen squandered two headed opportunities, and Lyon goalkeeper Dominik Greif denied Kamada from close range. Palace were then punished for failing to convert their chances. Sulc cleverly redirected Nakamura’s effort into the bottom corner with 15 minutes remaining.
The visitors refused to give up. Kamada capitalised on defensive confusion to restore hope just five minutes later, but Palace could not find a leveller. Greif produced a crucial late save to deny Chris Richards‘ header.
Sage frustrated as Palace regroup
The result was a disappointing return to Lyon for Palace manager Pierre Sage, who previously coached the club between November 2023 and January 2025. The defeat ended Palace’s three-match unbeaten run across all competitions and leaves them with three points from their opening two Europa League fixtures. Lyon, meanwhile, maintained their perfect start to the league phase with successive victories.
The encounter carried extra significance. Palace were excluded from last season’s Europa League because of multi-club ownership regulations involving Lyon, and they subsequently won the Conference League to secure qualification for this season’s competition.
Sage will be frustrated by his team’s defensive mistakes and wasteful finishing, particularly after their encouraging second-half response. Palace must now regroup ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Brighton before travelling to face Besiktas in their next European fixture.