Fresh off their Europa League collapse against Manchester United, Lyon enter the 125th Derby Rhone-Alpes with Saint-Etienne eager to respond to Thursday's disappointment as they travel to Les Verts for Sunday's gameweek 30 Ligue 1 contest at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Paulo Fonseca's men led 4-2 in extra time at Old Trafford, only to lose the game 5-4, which saw Les Gones eliminated 7-6 on aggregate; however, the fourth-placed side strive to put that setback behind them to enhance their Champions League prospects by defeating their relegation-threatened rivals.
Match preview
© Iconsport
After losing two consecutive league games, which brought their total losses in 2024-25 to 17, Saint-Etienne may have recognised familiar sinking feelings when they conceded just six minutes into their match against Brest last weekend.
Eirik Horneland's troops responded to that setback and two further concessions to manage a 3-3 draw, avoiding a third consecutive loss this term.
Aiming to take the positives from showcasing their battling qualities, the second-bottom hosts find themselves three points behind Le Havre in the relegation playoff spot and five points adrift of safety with five games remaining.
While avoiding relegation is mathematically possible, Sainte's struggle entering Sunday's match with one win in 13 Ligue 1 games is a portent for their top-flight survival as the season concludes.
Further diminishing those chances is the Greens' inability to prevent opponents from scoring, as evidenced by the side having the worst defence (with 67 goals conceded) and the fewest clean sheets (four) in 29 games.
© IconSport
Lyon, whose nine shutouts are surpassed only by Lens (12), Lille and Rennes (both 10), aim to exploit their hosts' vulnerabilities to move on from their Europa League disappointment and fully commit to ending the season in the top four.
Last weekend's 3-1 triumph at Auxerre was Les Gones' fifth Ligue 1 victory in six top-flight fixtures, highlighting the Kids' momentum as they enter the season's final weeks while aiming to secure a Champions League return after a five-year absence.
Given that Fonseca's team are one point behind Marseille in third and two adrift of second-placed Monaco, the away side remain in the hunt for a top-three berth, which guarantees direct qualification for the league phase of the Champions League.
That ambition could be strengthened considering Lyon's 21st-century dominance in Le Derby, as the seven-time Ligue 1 champions have secured 11 wins in 18 trips to the Geoffroy-Guichard, more than any other team in that period.
With Les Gones also keeping 41 clean sheets in 125 encounters with Sunday's opponents, the most they have managed against any opponents in history, the travelling support will back their team to secure maximum points for the 16th time this season.
Team News
© Iconsport
Augustine Boakye will miss the rest of the season for Saint-Etienne due to an ankle injury, while Yvann Macon will serve a one-match ban after accumulating yellow cards.
Nine of Lucas Stassin's 10 goals for the second-bottom side have come in 2025, and the 20-year-old aims to continue his impressive return since the start of the year against Champions League hopefuls.
Adding the youngster's four assists brings his total to 14 goal contributions, which ties him with teammate Zuriko Davitashvili (seven goals, seven assists), as both players aim to stun the third-placed visitors.
Although Lyon do not have an extensive injury list, the away side are still without Ernest Nuamah, who is out until next season due to a severe knee issue.
While 12-goal man Alexander Lacazette has outscored Rayan Cherki (eight) and Nicolas Tagliafico (three), all three players have netted three game-clinching efforts, and they aim to be decisive against the strugglers.
Georges Mikautadze, who could start for the 12th time in Ligue 1 this term, has netted nine goals from 29 appearances and could potentially enter double figures in the French top flight on Sunday.
Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Larsonneur; Appiah, Bernauer, Nade, Petrot; Bouchouari, Ekwah, Moueffek; Cardona, Stassin, Davitashvilli
Lyon possible starting lineup:
Perri; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico; Tessmann, Matic; Cherki, Tolisso, Almada; Mikautadze
We say: Saint-Etienne 1-3 Lyon
With Saint-Etienne conceding three goals or more in four consecutive home games — including two 3-3 draws against Angers and Brest and losses to Nice (3-1) and Paris Saint-Germain (6-1) — the second-bottom side's recent results at the Geoffroy-Guichard do not inspire confidence among supporters.
While Les Verts are expected to score on Sunday, Lyon, despite Fonseca's suspension, have continued to find the net, evidenced by the Kids scoring two goals or more in five matches since his ban and 10 overall under the Portuguese.
Thus, the away side are favoured to secure maximum points on Sunday to at least remain in fourth and potentially leapfrog Monaco or Marseille in gameweek 30.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
