Lyon made it two wins from two in the Europa League league phase with a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, substitute Pavel Sulc settling a five-goal thriller that Palace twice threatened to rescue.
Corentin Tolisso fired the hosts ahead after eight minutes and Ghana international Ernest Nuamah doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time, before Yeremy Pino pulled one back for Palace early in the second half. Sulc restored the two-goal cushion on 76 minutes, and although Daichi Kamada set up a frantic finish eight minutes from time, Paulo Fonseca's side held on to move onto six points. Palace, who thrashed Lech Poznan 4-0 on matchday one, stay on three. Full coverage of the night's fixtures is available via Sky Sports.
Tolisso and Nuamah put Lyon in command
Lyon struck from a set piece with the game barely settled. Palace failed to clear a corner and Tolisso slammed the loose ball home from close range, a captain's finish that settled any early nerves in the home stands.
Palace, managed by Pierre Sage on his return to the club he coached between November 2023 and January 2025, responded with spirit. Senegal forward Ismaila Sarr headed a presentable chance at Dominik Greif and was then booked for protesting a handball decision, while Jorgen Strand Larsen saw penalty appeals waved away. But just as the visitors sensed a way back, Lyon landed the half's decisive blow: Keito Nakamura tormented Chris Richards down the left and crossed low for Nuamah to slam in from close range at 45+2 minutes.
Pino sparks the fightback
Palace needed a response and found one five minutes after the restart. Adam Wharton released Pino, who finished to halve the deficit at 2-1 and silence the home crowd. Sage threw on Kamada and Eddie Nketiah just past the hour, and for a spell Lyon were retreating, even though the shot count told its own story — Palace actually out-shot their hosts 12 to 11 across the night, a statistic recorded in the UEFA.com competition centre's wider results service.
Fonseca answered with changes of his own, and they decided the game. Sulc, introduced on 70 minutes, needed only six minutes to score, converting Nakamura's second assist of the evening to make it 3-1. It was a ruthless reminder of the depth Lyon possess in this competition.
Kamada sets up a frantic finish
Palace refused to fold. Kamada, on for Sarr, scored on 82 minutes to make it 3-2, moments after Richards had gone into the book, and the closing stages were played almost entirely in Lyon's half. There was no equaliser, though, and no red cards on a night when the football, rather than the discipline, made the headlines. Palace's European learning curve continues — as their recent 3-1 comeback win over Nottingham Forest showed, this squad has resilience, but in Lyon they left themselves too much to do.
So what does it mean?
Lyon sit on maximum points after two games, following their 2-1 win at Anderlecht, and are already well placed for direct qualification for the last 16. Palace remain in the play-off picture on three points but face a demanding run, and their defensive display at set pieces will concern Sage. On a big European night elsewhere, Aston Villa's 6-0 demolition of Fenerbahce underlined the standard English clubs are setting on the continent this season.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This was the night Nakamura announced himself — two assists, constant menace — and the night Palace learned that Europa League away games are won in both boxes. Lyon look like genuine contenders to go deep; Palace, brave as they were, cannot keep conceding cheap first goals and chasing games in France. The verdict is simple: Lyon are built for this competition, Palace are still learning it.
Did Palace deserve a point in Lyon, or did Fonseca's substitutes win this game from the bench? Let us know in the comments.
