Palace Falls 3-2 at Lyon as Sage Faces Tough Return in Europa League

Palace Struggles in First Europa League Away Match

Crystal Palace faced a tough loss in their first-ever Europa League away game, falling 3-2 to Lyon at the Groupama Stadium. Early goals from Corentin Tolisso and Ernest Nuamah gave Lyon a solid lead, forcing Palace into a hard-fought comeback attempt in the second half.

Yeremy Pino scored shortly after halftime to reduce the deficit, but Pavel Sulc's smart backheel flick restored Lyon's two-goal advantage. Daichi Kamada’s late goal sparked hope for Palace fans, but despite support from 3,000 travelling supporters, the Eagles could not find an equalizer.

Sage Reflects on Difficult Visit to Former Club

Manager Pierre Sage, returning to his old club, was honest about Palace's slow and below-par start. The gap in performance quality between the sides was clear, he admitted after the match.

"We were nowhere near our usual standards in the first half. We improved considerably after the break and gave ourselves a chance, but conceding that third goal made things difficult."

Sage expressed disappointment over the result, saying, "It's a very disappointing return because we lost. I can’t take satisfaction from coming back home or seeing familiar faces when the result isn’t there."

Disasi Calls for Focus on Second-Half Efforts

Defender Axel Disasi shared the frustration, noting the poor start but highlighting their stronger second-half play. He emphasized the need to build on that intensity going forward.

"We didn’t start the game well, but I think we responded well in the second half. We pressed high, won the ball back in dangerous areas and created chances. We managed to pull it back to 3-2 and had opportunities towards the end, so it’s frustrating not to have got something."

He added, "We need to focus on our second-half performance. We showed much more intent and personality."

Upcoming Challenges for Palace

After picking up three points from their first two Europa League matches, Palace must now turn their attention back to the Premier League. They will travel to face rivals Brighton on Sunday, aiming to recover quickly from this European defeat.

The Eagles then resume their continental campaign next Thursday with a difficult away match against Turkish side Besiktas.

• Next Matches:
• Brighton vs Crystal Palace - Premier League - 18 Oct 2026, 16:00
• Nice vs Lyon - Ligue 1 - 18 Oct 2026, 21:45