- 1 Anderlecht vs Lyon: three qualifying rounds for the Mauves, while OL put a European top spot on the line
- 2 Anderlecht: first away win sealed by Bentayeb, and three defenders in the treatment room
- 3 Lyon: unbeaten in Ligue 1 and almost at full strength
- 4 Europa League prediction Anderlecht vs Lyon
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Anderlecht vs Lyon: three qualifying rounds for the Mauves, while OL put a European top spot on the line 
Lyon finished top of the Europa League regular season last year. That benchmark is the starting point for this new campaign.
The club opens on Wednesday 16 September at Anderlecht, with kick-off at 21:00 CEST. Both sides enter the competition on matchday one of the league phase.
Lyon were not even expecting to be in this competition. Les Gones got past Sparta Prague in the Champions League third qualifying round, losing 2-1 away before winning 3-0 at home.
The play-off against Fenerbahce ended the dream, with a 1-1 draw in the first leg and a 1-2 defeat in the return. So it is the Europa League again, for the second season running.
Anderlecht have earned their place the hard way, one tie at a time. Fourth in the Pro League last season, the club had to clear three qualifying rounds this summer.
Hammarby were beaten 4-2 on aggregate, PAOK went down by the same score, and Kairat Almaty were thumped 6-0 over two legs. That last result remains the cleanest win in the Brussels club’s run.
The contrast between the two paths is also obvious in the domestic leagues. Lyon are still unbeaten after four rounds of Ligue 1, while Anderlecht have been patchy in Belgium.
The last meeting between the two clubs came in 2009, in a Champions League qualifying round. Lyon had the upper hand across both legs, winning 5-1 and then 1-3.
Seventeen years on, the balance has shifted in style, not in outcome. The bookmakers make Lyon favourites at 2,02, with the hosts at 3,60.
Both clubs are targeting a place in the top eight, which sends teams straight into the round of 16. An opening win in Brussels would carry serious weight in an eight-game race.
Anderlecht: first away win sealed by Bentayeb, and three defenders in the treatment room 
Anderlecht’s start to the Pro League season has been all over the place. A 3-0 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, a 1-0 win over Courtrai, then a 0-0 draw with Genk.
The trip to Mechelen on 11 September finally brought some clarity. Anderlecht won 1-0, thanks to a Tawfik Bentayeb goal in the 43rd minute.
That was Anderlecht’s first away win of the season. It is no small thing before welcoming an opponent of Lyon’s calibre.
Bentayeb is also starting to establish himself as one of the side’s main attacking outlets. The former Troyes man scored 18 goals in Ligue 2 last season.
Anderlecht lost their best attacker over the summer. Thorgan Hazard, who produced 13 goals and seven assists in the Pro League, has joined RC Lens.
Nathan De Cat, with four assists, made the same move, heading to Hoffenheim. Two exits that force the club to spread the attacking load around.
Last season’s numbers still offer a few useful reference points. Cvetkovic scored nine and Bertaccini seven, and both strikers remain at the club.
The defence is a bigger worry than the attack. Hey, Sardella and Camara are injured and have not played a single league minute this season.
That leaves Biancone, another former Troyes player, to partner Léo Pétrot in central defence. They will need to keep a Lyon attack that has already scored six goals in four Ligue 1 matches under control.
Anderlecht are back in league action after this European tie, so the Belgian calendar leaves little room for heavy rotation on Wednesday.
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Lyon: unbeaten in Ligue 1 and almost at full strength 
Lyon have taken eight points from their first 12 in Ligue 1. Two wins, two draws, no defeats after four matches.
The results point to a strong opening spell. A 0-2 win at Toulouse, a 1-1 draw with Le Havre, a 3-1 victory over Auxerre, then a 0-0 draw last Saturday away to Paris FC.
That stalemate at Stade Jean-Bouin was the first real flat spot of Lyon’s season. OL could not find a way through against a very disciplined Paris defence.
Still, the run fits the club’s ambitions. Fourth in Ligue 1 in May, Lyon have settled near the top without too much fuss.
European experience is the other big selling point with this team. They finished top of the Europa League regular season last year, before going out in the round of 16 to Celta Vigo.
Summer departures did trim the squad. Maitland-Niles left for Everton, Fofana for Sunderland, Moreira for Leverkusen, Mangala for Getafe, and a number of loans also ended.
Recruitment has brought in players who should slot in quickly. Athekame arrived on loan from Milan, Bacher came from Estoril, Boudache from Nice, and Nakamura left Reims for Lyon in Ligue 1.
Lois Openda is the real attacking upgrade in this window. The Belgian striker has already scored twice since joining.
His return to Belgium gives this trip extra spice. Openda knows the Pro League scene better than anyone in this dressing room.
As for injuries, Lyon are almost in ideal shape. No absentees have been listed, with only Duranville still a doubt after a physical issue since arriving from Dortmund.
Probable Anderlecht line-up: Coosemans – Maamar, Biancone, Pétrot, Augustinsson – Cobiella, Koutsoupias, Kana, Antman – Bentayeb, Sikan. Out: Hey, Sardella, Camara (injured).
Probable Lyon line-up: Greif – Athekame, Niakhaté, Bacher, Tagliafico – Morton, Tessmann – Nuamah, Tolisso, Sulc – Openda. Doubtful: Duranville.
Europa League prediction Anderlecht vs Lyon
Our prediction: Lyon to win
Lyon head into this one with no absentees and four unbeaten Ligue 1 games behind them. Anderlecht, by contrast, have three defenders in the treatment room, including two who have not played a single minute this season.
The gap is sharpened by Anderlecht’s summer business. Losing 13 goals and seven assists from Hazard without anything close to a like-for-like replacement leaves the home attack looking far less threatening than it did in May.
Lyon also topped the Europa League regular season last year, which says enough about how comfortable they can be in this format. Back Lyon to win in Brussels at 1,94.
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