- Olympique Lyonnais are 4th in Ligue 1, Celta de Vigo are 6th in LaLiga
- Celta have won three of their last five matches in all competitions, drawing once and losing once
- Olympique Lyon have won one of their last five games, losing twice, drawing once and recording a penalty shoot-out win in the Coupe de France
Intriguing Europa League Round of 16 clash
Thursday’s UEFA Europa League 2025-2026 clash between Celta de Vigo and Olympique Lyonnais is a fascinating fixture between two top European clubs that have never faced each other before. Both clubs are solid enough to have strong ambitions to progress to the final and make their mark on the competition, but a mixture of home form, momentum and other factors could decide this Round of 16 tie.
Celta’s recent home form has been good, particularly in Europe, as they comfortably overcame Mallorca 2-0 at Balaidos last weekend before claiming a superb 2-1 away win at PAOK in their most recent Europa League fixture. Claudio Giráldez’s young squad are playing some great football and can make a strong case for being one of the best in the world in the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 shape.
Celta are a possession side with some great youthful exuberance and quick transition play, but they are also an incredibly tough side to break down at home, but they recently lost 1-2 to Real Madrid.
Lyon are a very different proposition in style, although they do play a similar formation to Celta. Paulo Fonseca’s men are possession based, playing with structure and discipline in a mid-block, and creating overloads centrally and pressing selectively. They are just as capable of transitioning quickly to create space and penetration, but Lyon’s attacks are usually initiated from deep and with structure, rather than Celta’s wing overloads and end-to-end running.
Lyon are more vulnerable away from home
Backed at 2.18, Celta are favourites with the bookmakers to win this game, with Lyon at 3.54 and the draw 3.63. The odds for this game reflect how close this tie is likely to be, with neither club looking that much better than the other and both hoping to establish a lead to take to Lyon for the return leg.
Olympique Lyon have 45 points from 24 Ligue 1 games, which places them fourth in the French standings, although they have hit a bit of a rocky patch recently. Lyon's recent results include a 1-1 draw with Paris FC at home and a 2-3 defeat at Marseille.
Celta de Vigo, meanwhile, have 40 points from 27 games, placing them sixth in LaLiga, and appear to be more resilient and able to create more chances than Lyon, particularly with Borja Iglesias in the box, who was on target against Real Madrid. Williot Swedberg has been a creative force for Celta in the Europa League, delivering key assists and goals in recent matches.
Celta to edge a home win or draw
Both teams have recent tendencies to score and concede, and the BTTS (both teams to score) market is priced at 1.67, which looks like a strong punt for this wide-open clash. But we’re going to take a bit more risk and have a flutter on a narrow home win or a 1-1 draw on the basis of Celta’s home momentum and Lyon’s away struggles.
Celta are a more positive side with some brilliant wide players and a veteran in Iago Aspas that can unlock any defence on his day. Lyon are better balanced, with Corentin Tolisso anchoring the midfield and making late runs, and a few options like Endrick and Pavel Sulc, who can really turn it on when they get going. This clash of styles should be an interesting one, but the balance of home advantage probably tips it towards Celta, although it will be a fine contest throughout to decide which club will reach the final eight of the competition.
Clear, mild weather is expected in Vigo on Thursday and these two clubs are in good enough shape to make this an end-to-end game. The only thing certain about this clash is that it will remain open for the second leg in Lyon, where Celta will no doubt bring a large away following to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
