Lyon – Fenerbahce

The guests from Turkey will not lose the decisive match in regulation time.

The decisive clash in the Turkish-French showdown for a place in the UEFA Champions League will take place at Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Fenerbahçe are at this stage of the Champions League qualifying for the second year running. Last season, under the management of José Mourinho, the Istanbul club faced Benfica. A 0-0 draw at home turned into a 0-1 defeat in Lisbon. Participation in the Champions League is a sore subject for Fenerbahçe. The last time the Istanbul club reached the main round of this tournament was in the 2008/2009 season. Since then, all qualifying campaigns have led Fenerbahçe to secondary European competitions, leaving the continent's main football festival out of reach. Lyon have missed the last three editions of the Champions League, not even taking part in the qualifiers. However, fans in the city of the same name remember well the 2019/2020 season when Lyon reached the Champions League Final Four, knocking Juventus and Manchester City out of the path. Then, in the COVID year, Lyon were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, who a few days later defeated PSG in the final. The result of the first leg between the sides is generating strong tension in the camp of the Istanbul club. On the one hand, Fenerbahçe trailed at half-time in last week's match and should be satisfied with the final draw. On the other hand, last year's clash with Benfica also began with a home draw by the Turkish runners-up. Before the match in France, Fenerbahçe's spirits were lifted by a victory in the second round of the Turkish league over Konyaspor. Mason Greenwood scored twice in this match, which, following his goal in the first leg against Lyon, underscores his excellent form. Lyon also played in the league over the weekend, where they managed to take three points on the road to Toulouse, 2-0. On the one hand, home-field advantage should help Lyon in the return leg. For example, in the previous qualifying round, the French on their home ground beat Sparta Prague 3-0, having lost a week earlier in the Czech Republic. The other thing is that Fenerbahçe, with its star-studded lineup, won't be in a hurry either. Playing away might suit them better than playing as the home side. Let's bet that the guests won't lose in regulation time.