Lyon scouting report: How good are Man United’s Europa League quarter-final opponents?

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2-2 draw in first leg 

©TM/IMAGO

Manchester United’s domestic season has jumped one from one disaster to another. Out of the EFL Cup, out of the FA Cup, and 13th in the Premier League. However, their season can still be somewhat salvaged by Europa League glory. It’s likely to be their only route back into European football of any kind next season, and winning the Europa League would put the Red Devils back into the Champions League. Rúben Amorim’s side did well to progress past LaLiga side Real Sociedad in the last 16, and will now face Ligue 1′s Lyon in the quarter-final.

Man United were on the verge of securing a 2-1 win in the first leg in France but Rayan Cherki scored a dramatic late equaliser after another Andre Onana mistake. United fans will have gained an insight into Lyon’s qualities ahead of the second leg but we’ve provided further insight from speaking to Transfermarkt’s Ligue 1 expert Joachim Durand.

How good have Lyon been this season?

During the first few months of last season, Lyon found themselves in somewhat of a relegation battle, before ending the campaign strongly to finish sixth. This year has seen more improvement, without being a remarkable year. “It’s been a rather bland season, with good times (no defeats between 29 September and 7 December) and bad times (no wins between 1 January and 2 February),” explains Durand. “As has been the case for several years now, what Lyon lack is consistency over an entire season. They’re also struggling against the league’s top teams (no wins against PSG, Marseille, or Monaco). There was a change of coach in January that the fans did not take kindly to: Pierre Sage, last season’s hero, was sacked to bring in Paulo Fonseca. However, there has been an improvement in results: 1.68 ppg for Sage in 24/25 against 2.18 for Fonseca.”

Who is Lyon’s most dangerous player?

“Rayan Cherki has clearly been Lyon’s in-form player in recent months,” says Durand. “His statistics bear witness to this: six goals and 11 assists in 20 games in 2025. Only PSG’s Bradley Barcola has more assists among players in the top-five Leagues. Even if he rarely performs for the entire duration of a match, his talent sets him apart from the rest. With one spark, one inspiration, he can make a fantastic difference.” Given Man United’s defensive issues this season, they will certainly have to be aware of Cherki’s threat.

What are Lyon’s strengths and weaknesses?

“I’d say Lyon’s strengths and weaknesses have been the same over the last few seasons,” reveals Durand. “The squad is well-stocked in attack, with players who can make a difference individually at any time (Cherki, Alexandre Lacazette, Malick Fofana, Georges Mikautadze). Behind them, though, things are shaky. There are some good players, some experienced reliable players (Nicolás Tagliafico, Clinton Mata) and some youngsters who still need to improve (Abner, Saël Kumbedi), but there’s still no defensive leader there.” This hypothesis may inject some confidence into Man United fans that they can exploit their French opponent’s defensive weakness in what will be there biggest games of the season.