Lyon vs Olympiacos preview: Everything you need to know about Thrylos' Europa League opponent | OneFootball

Everything you need to know about Lyon ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with Olympiacos (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Olympiacos are set to return to Europe for their first match after May's Europa Conference League triumph in Athens. And Thrylos are facing a massive obstacle in Lyon on Thursday at the Groupama Stadium. Aron Walters brings you everything you need to know about our Europa League opponents:

Getting to know you: Olympique Lyonnais

Background

Olympique Lyonnais, more commonly known as OL or simply Lyon, are a French football

club based in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region of France, in the city of Lyon. Lyon

play their home games at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, currently known as Groupama

Stadium due to sponsorship. The stadium was purpose-built for the club and opened in 2016.

With a seating capacity of over 59,000, it is the third-largest stadium in France, behind

Stade de France and Marseille’s Velodrome, and ranks 31st in Europe.

The club's colors are white, red, and blue, and they are widely recognized for their

passionate fanbase and role as one of the top clubs in French football.

The club also has a women’s team, Olympique Lyonnais Feminin, which is one of the

world’s top clubs in women’s football. The team has been crowned champions of

France a record 17 times and has won the Champions League eight times, also a

record.

Honours and European Experience

OL won their first title in 1951, the Ligue 2 title, which they have won twice more (1954 and 1989).

Lyon experienced their first major titles and a period of sustained success during the

1960s and 1970s. During this time, they won the Coupe de France three times (1964,

1967 and 1973) and finished runners-up in three other seasons (1963, 1971 and 1976).

The club also won the Coupe de France in 2008 and 2012, along with a single Coupe

de la Ligue (2001).

Their first top-flight league title didn’t come until the new millennium. Having previously

finished runners-up twice, Olympique Lyonnais lifted the Ligue 1 title for the first time at

the end of the 2001-02 season. Lyon went on to win the title for an incredible seven

consecutive seasons, a feat unprecedented in France – and still unmatched.

The club has a long history of playing in Europe, dating back to the 1959-60 season. The 2024-25 season will be their 37th playing in European competition.

Olympiacos have met Lyon in three previous European campaigns. In the 1963-64 Cup

Winners’ Cup, Lyon emerged victorious in the second round, winning 4-1 in France and

losing 1-2 in Piraeus, knocking Thrylos out 5-3 on aggregate.

In the 2000-01 Champions League group stage, the spoils were shared, with Lyon

recording a 1-0 home win and Olympiacos winning 2-1 at home. The sides most

recently met in the 2005-06 Champions League, with Lyon winning both matches, 2-1 at

Despite their domestic dominance, Lyon have never won a major European title. They

have been semi-finalists four times: in the 1963-64 Cup Winners’ Cup and the 2016-17

Europa League. Their greatest continental achievement to date is reaching the

Champions League semi-finals twice, in 2009-10 and 2019-20, losing to Bayern Munich

on both occasions.

In the Hot Seat

A relative unknown, Pierre Sage is the current head coach at Lyon. Sage began his

football career playing solely for CS Belley before transitioning into coaching, starting as

a technical manager at Plastics Vallee FC. After brief stints as a scout and technical

director, he managed Chambery in 2013 and Sedan in 2016, eventually joining Lyon-

Duchere as an assistant manager in 2018.

Sage first coached Lyon's youth team in 2019, later moving to Red Star before returning to manage Lyon's academy in 2023. He took over as interim manager in November that year and was confirmed as head coach in January 2024, leading the team to Europa League qualification and signing a

new contract until 2026.

Route in Europe, Season-to-Date

having finished 6th in the 2023-24 Ligue 1 table. This will also be the team’s first

European game of the season.

The 2024-25 season hasn’t started well for OL in France. They’ve lost three of their

opening five Ligue 1 matches, picking up just one win and a draw. Most recently, they

lost 2-3 at home to Marseille, with their sole win coming on matchday 3 in a high-scoring

4-3 victory over Strasbourg. The French giants find themselves at the wrong end of the

Ligue 1 table, currently sitting in 14th place.

Players to Watch

Lyon boasts a strong squad, well-balanced with French and international talent.

Chelsea and Manchester United hero Nemanja Matic, former West Ham player Said Benrahma, and ex-Arsenal aces Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Alexandre Lazacette bring a wealth of Premier League experience to their ranks.

Central midfielder Corentin Tolisso, a product of Lyon’s academy, broke into the first

team in the 2013-14 season. After four seasons the Frenchman moved to Bayern

Munich, where he stayed for five years before returning to Lyon. He has been one of the

team’s top performers this season.

Nigerian striker Gift Orban provides a goal threat. Orban began his European career in

Norway, scoring 19 goals in 24 appearances for Stabaek before moving to Gent in

Belgium, where he netted 32 goals in a season and a half. He joined Lyon in the

January 2024 transfer window.

Another exciting prospect for OL is Georges Mikautadze. The Georgian international

joined Lyon this summer after an impressive Euro 2024 for his country. Born in Lyon to

Georgian parents, Mikautadze is yet to score for his new club in his first five games, but

he is no stranger to finding the net in France. Playing for Metz in 2022-23, he scored 23

league goals in 37 appearances, helping the team secure promotion. Ajax signed him in

2023 but he failed to settle in Amsterdam. He returned to Metz on loan in January

2024, where he scored 13 goals in 20 Ligue 1 games.

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