The match of Matchday 8 of the group stage of the 2025/26 Europa League between Lyon (France) and PAOK (Greece) will take place on 29 january 2026 at Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Lyon vs PAOK: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais recorded a 1:0 victory over Young Boys in the previous round, their sixth win in the current edition of the competition (1 defeat). In five of those wins the team kept a clean sheet. As a result, the home side share first place with Braga for the total number of shutouts. Under Paulo Fonseca, the squad are also joint leaders with Aston Villa in the overall table, ahead only on tiebreakers. The hosts have already secured a place in the top 8.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 6 of the club's 7 previous Europa League matches.
- At home in this competition the team are unbeaten in 7 games (5 wins, 2 draws).
- In 5 of the last 6 home games in the Europa League the club conceded no more than one goal.
Potential Olympique Lyonnais Lineup (4-3-3)
Rémy Descamps – Ruben Kluivert, Clinton Mata, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ainsley Maitland‑Niles – Tyler Morton, Halis Mera, Tanner Tessmann – Adam Karabec, Pavel Šulc, Daniel Alfonso.
Due to injuries, defenders Nicolas Tagliafico, Abner, as well as forwards Ernest Nuamah, Malik Fofana and midfielder Nabil Bentaleb are unavailable.
PAOK
PAOK beat Betis 2:0 in the previous round, extending an unbeaten run in the Europa League to 5 matches (3 wins, 2 draws). In four of those games the visitors scored at least two goals. With a total of 15 goals, PAOK sit second after Midtjylland (16). In the overall standings PAOK are only 12th. Nevertheless, the club have secured a place in the play-offs and still have a chance to reach the top 8, but for that they must take three points in the final round and hope rivals slip up.
- The Greeks have a scoring run of 6 matches in the Europa League.
- Away in this competition the team failed to win in 6 of the last 7 matches (2 draws, 4 defeats).
- In 5 of the last 7 away matches in the Europa League the club conceded at least two goals.
Potential PAOK Lineup (4-5-1)
Antoni Tsifris – Abdul Rahman Baba, Jonjo Kenny, Ioannis Michailidis, Tomas Kędziora – Dimitrios Pelkas, Soualiho Meïté, Andrija Živković, Georgios Giakoumakis, Magomed Ozdoyev – Taison.
Midfielder Luka Ivanusec is injured.
Referee
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea (Spain)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2025/26);
Yellow/Red Cards Shown (Including Second) – 23;
Average Yellow Cards Per Match – 2.9;
Red Cards Shown – 2;
Fouls Average Per Match – 21;
Penalties – 25%.
Lyon vs PAOK: Match Prediction
Both sides have already secured progression to the play-offs, so motivation will be the key factor in the head-to-head. The French side can still finish top of the group, though that brings no real advantage. Meanwhile, in the domestic championship the home team face Lille next, a crucial match in the fight for a Champions League place. The visitors, for their part, will look to climb the table as high as possible to secure a home-field advantage in the play-offs.
Half of the French club's six wins in the 2025/26 Europa League were by more than a one-goal margin. One of those opponents was the current table-bottom side Maccabi Tel‑Aviv, and against Basel the second goal came in stoppage time. The Greeks, in turn, have lost only 2 of their last 11 Europa League matches, and one of those defeats was by a single goal.
We believe the Greeks can nick a point. However, we suggest taking a safety option and backing the plus handicap.
Prediction: PAOK (+1)
* For each team the starting lineup shown is their lineup in their previous match in this competition.
