Dropped to Europa League, Lyon could face Milan or Juventus in group stage

Beaten at home by Fenerbahçe (1-2) Wednesday evening at Groupama Stadium after a hard-fought draw in Turkey (1-1), Olympique Lyonnais has missed the Champions League group stage and been relegated to the Europa League. The Europa League draw is scheduled for Friday.

Lyon is not alone in this situation on the French side: Marseille and Stade Rennais are also in contention for this draw, whose final pots still depend on the results of Thursday’s playoffs.

Based on the teams already qualified, pot 1 could reserve prestigious opposition for Lyon: AC Milan and Juventus are among the potential seeded teams, which promises high-profile matchups with strong European coefficients. Pot 2 looks more balanced, with continental regulars such as Salzburg, Celtic or Sparta Prague, without a truly dominant opponent.

Pot 3 deserves attention despite less glamorous names. Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Sunderland should find themselves there. The three Premier League clubs benefit from considerable financial resources, making them opponents not to be underestimated, regardless of their European reputation.

Finally, pot 4 could include Besiktas. A new trip to Istanbul would carry resonance for Lyon, who have just fallen to another Turkish club. The exact composition of the pots will be finalized after Thursday evening’s final playoffs.