Palace Struggle in France as Sage Faces Tough Return Against Lyon

Crystal Palace faced a tough challenge in their first ever Europa League away game, falling 3-2 to Lyon at the Groupama Stadium. Early strikes from Corentin Tolisso and Ernest Nuamah gave Lyon a strong lead, forcing Palace into a comeback effort after halftime.

After the break, Yeremy Pino reduced the deficit quickly, but Pavel Sulc responded for Lyon with a smart backheel that restored their two-goal advantage. Daichi Kamada scored late to bring the score close again, but despite support from 3,000 traveling Palace fans, the Eagles couldn't find an equalizer.

Sage Reflects on Difficult First Half

Returning to his former club as manager, Pierre Sage was frank about his team's sluggish start and tactical difficulties in the opening 45 minutes. He admitted the gap between the teams was clear in how they played early on.

"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 said. "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 Highlights Need to Build on Second-Half Performance

Defender Axel Disasi shared his manager's frustration over the slow start but praised the team's response in the second half.

"We didn't start the game well, but I think we responded well in the second half," Disasi explained. "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."

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

Looking Ahead: Premier League Derby and Europa League Return

With three points from their first two Europa League matches, Palace must now turn their attention back to domestic competition. They face a crucial Premier League derby against Brighton on Sunday, aiming to recover from the European loss.

The Eagles will return to Europe next Thursday for a challenging 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