- 1 Lyon vs Fenerbahce: 1-1 brought back from Istanbul, with seven spots still up for grabs
- 2 Lyon have their script in place, now they have to finish the job
- 3 Fenerbahce wasted their home advantage
- 4 Champions League prediction Lyon vs Fenerbahce
- 5 First things first: a note on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Lyon vs Fenerbahce: 1-1 brought back from Istanbul, with seven spots still up for grabs 
Lois Openda struck first in Istanbul before Fenerbahce pulled level: 1-1, and nothing is settled before the second leg. That is exactly the sort of result Olympique Lyonnais will feel they can live with at home.
The second leg is on Wednesday 26 August at 21:00 CEST at Groupama Stadium in Decines. It will decide one of the last seven sides to reach the 2026-27 Champions League league phase.
The loser does not leave empty-handed, though: they drop straight into the Europa League league phase. The gap between the two competitions is worth tens of millions of euros.
The two clubs did not get here the same way. Lyon reached this playoff through the non-champions route after clearing the third qualifying round, while Fenerbahce began their run in the second qualifying round.
The match has been rated level 4 out of 5 by the authorities, with 2,220 Turkish supporters expected inside the Lyon ground. Around 50,000 fans are set to attend at Groupama Stadium.
Paulo Fonseca did not hide his reading of the first leg: qualification will go right to the wire and their opponents remain the natural favourites. His counterpart Ismail Kartal hit the same note, saying he was coming to France to win.
One stat hangs over the tie: in Lyon’s two previous home meetings with Fenerbahce in the Champions League, they won both by two goals, 3-1 in 2001 and 4-2 in 2004.
Lyon have their script in place, now they have to finish the job 
Coming away from the Sukru Saracoglu with a draw, while never losing control of the game, is no small thing. Openda even put Lyon ahead before the Turkish equaliser.
That result looks even better given Fonseca travelled with a depleted squad. Nicolas Tagliafico was among the three absentees for the trip to Istanbul.
The staff had already had to do without Merah and Sulc in Lyon’s final full session at Groupama before departure. Those absences hurt their options off the bench.
Fonseca made one thing clear for the return leg: the Decines atmosphere is part of the plan. He wants to use it to set a tempo his side could not impose in Turkey.
The schedule has also given Lyon some momentum between the two legs. They beat Toulouse 2-0 on Saturday in their Ligue 1 opener (Nartey, 68′; Fofana, 85′). Lyon head into this one with confidence and some real match sharpness.
There is still one brutal fact deciding everything: Lyon have scored only once across the first 90 minutes of the tie. Without a second, there will be no place in the next round before extra time.
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Fenerbahce wasted their home advantage 
To host the first leg and still fail to build a lead is a miss for Fenerbahce. Romelu Lukaku, signed by the Istanbul club this summer, called the 1-1 disappointing himself.
Kartal chose to focus on the performance rather than the scoreline. In his view, his players showed they understood what a Champions League night demands.
One detail from the first-leg XI is worth noting: Ederson started in goal despite not having played a single minute before then this season. It was his first appearance of the campaign.
The Turkish club also have the edge in European minutes. Entering the competition in the second qualifying round, they have played far more high-stakes games than Lyon since July.
They have also kicked off their domestic season in style: Fenerbahce beat Konyaspor 4-2 on Saturday (Muriqi, Colley, Greenwood x2, Asensio). That sort of attacking display underlines their threat before the trip to Decines.
The key issue is whether Fenerbahce can score again away from home. In Decines, a Turkish goal would force Lyon to net twice, something they have not managed over the tie so far.
Probable Lyon line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Probable Fenerbahce line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Champions League prediction Lyon vs Fenerbahce
Our prediction: Lyon to win
The home record in this match-up is hard to ignore: two Champions League visits from Fenerbahce, two Lyon wins by two goals. That is not some neat little coincidence. It is the only sample we have, and it points one way.
Add in the fact that Lyon drew in Istanbul with a squad missing three players, including Tagliafico. With a more complete group and a crowd of 50,000 behind them, the balance tips toward the French side.
Fenerbahce had the chance to take control of the tie at home and blew it. Lyon win the second leg and knock the Istanbul club out of the Champions League.
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