Lyon host Fenerbahçe this Wednesday 26 August at 9pm at the Groupama Stadium, in the second leg of the Champions League qualifying play-off. After the 1-1 draw conceded in Istanbul, OL must win to reach the competition's league phase.
The stakes are considerable for a club that has been waiting for this moment for more than six years. Lyon's last appearance in the Champions League dates back to February 2020, before a campaign that ended in the semi-finals against Bayern Munich. Since then, OL have not returned to European football's flagship competition.
A return that would carry particular significance
This wait takes on another dimension given the crisis the club has been through. On 24 June 2025, the DNCG had ordered an administrative relegation to Ligue 2, before Lyon won their appeal on 9 July. John Textor had then left the club's leadership, replaced by Michèle Kang. A few months later, OL ultimately finished fourth in Ligue 1 and secured this play-off spot.
Qualification would therefore allow Lyon to symbolically turn the page on a particularly turbulent period. It would also give the club European exposure and major financial resources, in a context where every step matters.
A final step with no room for error
The 1-1 draw from the first leg leaves all possibilities open, but Lyon know they will need to deliver at a Groupama Stadium that is expected to be under pressure. The recent play-off surprises, notably Celtic's elimination, are a reminder that these matches can turn on a single detail.
Having escaped administrative relegation and returned to a place among the top four in Ligue 1, Lyon now have one last step to climb. Qualification against Fenerbahçe would not just mean a return to the Champions League: it could mark the true beginning of a new cycle.
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