Lyon now knows the road ahead in the phase de ligue of the Ligue Europa after Friday's tirage au sort confirmed an eight-team schedule that includes Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace.
The draw came two days after Lyon exited the Champions League playoff round, losing the second leg 1-2 to Fenerbahçe on Wednesday. That result pushed OL into the Europa League, where the club will now try to reset its European campaign in a competition phase that leaves little room for error.
The eight opponents Lyon will face
Lyon's Ligue Europa slate features Bayer Leverkusen, Real Sociedad, Union Saint-Gilloise, Crystal Palace, Anderlecht, Jagiellonia, Lillestrom and Hoffenheim. In other words, OL drew a mix of established European names and teams that bring different styles and levels of familiarity.
That matters because the phase de ligue format rewards consistency more than a single big result. For Lyon, the draw gives the club an immediate sense of what comes next after Champions League disappointment. The opponents are now set, the calendar can be built around them, and the focus shifts from what was missed on Wednesday to what can still be achieved in the Europa League.
For Marseille FC readers tracking French clubs in Europe, the headline is straightforward: Lyon's continental path is set, and it starts with a challenging, eight-opponent run that was finalized on Friday.
