UEFA Europa League: Lyon vs Rangers live
Preview
The top two teams in the Europa League Group A who have already qualified to the next stage of the competition will face off tonight at 17:45 GMT when Lyon hosts Rangers at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Lyon’s erratic Ligue 1 form continued at the weekend, as they were held to a 2-2 draw away to Bordeaux. Peter Bosz’s team has dropped to 12th position on the Ligue 1 table, but they are just four points behind the top four, with a league match against defending champions Lille – who are one spot above them in 11th – on the horizon.
While Lyon’s domestic play has been disappointing, they have been unstoppable in the Europa League, winning all five games in Group A and scoring 15 goals, more than any other side in the league.
Rangers have lost all five of their European away games (D3 L2), scoring only eight goals in total. Between May 2008 and July 2018, they went on a lengthier winless streak on the road in Europe. Rangers’ sole prior visit to Lyon in European play was in 2007-08, when they defeated the French team 3-0 in the UEFA Champions League group stages, thanks to goals from Lee McCulloch, Daniel Cousin, and DaMarcus Beasley. Rangers sit second on the Europa conference league group A table with 7 points.
Head-to-head
Lyon have won all three of their previous encounters with Rangers without conceding a goal, including a 2-0 win at Ibrox in September, and they will be optimistic of keeping their perfect record in the Europa League on Thursday.
Prediction
Both Lyon and Rangers will be under no pressure when they take the field today, as their places in the last 32 have already been secured. With both teams expected to rotate, a close-fought matchup at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais is possible, with the spoils being shared.
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Line-up
Lyon XI: Lopes; Vogel, Da Silva, Lukeba, Henrique; Cherki, Caqueret, Keita, Shaqiri; Dembele, Ekambi
Rangers XI: McLaughlin; Patterson, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic; Lundstram, Wright, Kamara; Aribo, Kent, Hagi
