Lyon defeated Crystal Palace 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday, handing Eagles manager Pierre Sage a disappointing loss against his former club despite a spirited second-half fightback.
Corentin Tolisso, Ernest Nuamah and Pavel Sulc scored for the French side, while Yeremy Pino and Daichi Kamada found the net for Palace, who were unable to complete their comeback.
Lyon took the lead in the eighth minute when Tolisso reacted quickest inside the penalty area to convert after Palace failed to clear a corner effectively.
The hosts continued to dominate proceedings and doubled their advantage in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Nuamah calmly guided his effort into the net to leave Palace with a difficult task after the break.
The Eagles struggled to create meaningful opportunities in the opening period and failed to register a shot on target as Lyon controlled the contest.
However, Palace returned with greater determination after the interval, with Pino reducing the deficit five minutes into the second half.
The winger finished confidently at the near post after receiving an excellent pass from Adam Wharton, giving the visitors renewed hope of getting back into the game.
Palace continued to press for an equaliser, with Kamada appealing for a penalty after going down under a challenge from Nuamah inside the box.
However, the referee waved play on, and a VAR review did not result in a spot-kick.
Lyon subsequently restored their two-goal cushion in the 76th minute when Sulc diverted Keito Nakamura’s effort into the net.
The goal appeared to put the contest beyond Palace, but the visitors refused to surrender.
Kamada struck in the 81st minute to make it 3-2 and set up a tense closing period.
Despite their late pressure, Palace could not find another goal as Lyon held on for the victory.
The result was particularly disappointing for Sage, who faced the club that dismissed him in January 2025.
Palace’s European campaign was also complicated by the ownership links involving former co-owner John Textor, who is also a majority owner of Lyon.
Those connections contributed to Palace losing their place in last season’s Europa League.
Reflecting on the defeat, Sage admitted that his team had fallen short of expectations, particularly in the first half.
He said the scoreline did not fully reflect the difference between the two sides’ performances, acknowledging that Palace improved considerably after the interval.
The Palace manager added that his players’ second-half display deserved an equaliser, although he conceded that a victory would have been an excessive reward given their performance before the break.
Sage’s side will now turn their attention to Sunday’s Premier League derby against Brighton, hoping to respond positively before travelling to face Besiktas in their next European fixture.
The defeat also highlighted Palace’s continued vulnerability from set pieces, with their failure to deal with Lyon’s opening corner proving costly once again.
