Europa League, Thursday, 17.04.2025 at 21:00
The 2-2 draw in the first leg keeps things exciting, but Manchester United are currently struggling with injuries.
Many key players are missing, which is naturally causing the English side considerable problems. That’s why, unlike the best sports betting providers, I find it difficult to declare them the clear favorites in this match.
Lyon, despite playing away from home, could benefit from the home side’s absences in this situation and gain a good deal of confidence.
My Manchester United Lyon tip therefore seems to be a pretty smart choice in this constellation. The Red Devils are always dangerous, but Olympique certainly has the potential to force extra time here.
It’s true that United have won their previous encounters with Lyon at Old Trafford, but the current situation could well challenge that tradition.
The Red Devils have home advantage, but their personnel shortages should not be underestimated. Lyon could therefore seize the opportunity to advance to the semi-finals. Many other arguments support my by no means risky thesis.
The double chance X2 bet could therefore be a risk with a potentially high reward and, in my opinion, is the only interesting alternative to the “Olympique will advance” bet.
The bookmakers’ prediction
The latest Manchester United Lyon odds are clear: with odds of 1.70 for a Red Devils victory, they are the clear favorites.
A draw is offered at 4.00, which respects the chances of extra time but does not consider it likely.
Lyon, as the underdog, has been given average odds of 4.40, which is a sign that the bookmakers don’t quite believe in a French upset.
AI prediction Manchester United vs Lyon: ChatGPT’s prediction
The Manchester United Lyon AI prediction from the world’s most popular AI assistant, which has taken the world by storm, provides some interesting betting options for this match.
For a high payout, “United to win with a handicap of -2” is initially suggested at odds of around 5.40. However, I simply cannot imagine that happening, especially given the many absences at United. That seems too risky a bet to me.
For a medium-risk sports bet, on the other hand, the AI recommends “1st goal Lyon” at odds of 2.69. I like that a lot! Lyon scored the first goal in the first leg, and I think that could happen again.
Finally, for a safe bet, the AI tip is “Over 2.5 goals.” That’s a very good choice, because these games are never stingy, and a 2-1 (maybe even for Lyon) seems quite likely.
Analysis: Manchester United vs Lyon
Manchester United faces a difficult challenge in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals against Lyon.
After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, which was down to two mistakes by goalkeeper André Onana, the second leg is an “all or nothing” game for the Red Devils.
Incidentally, Onana was also dropped from the team for the Premier League game against Newcastle, which ended in a painful 1-4 defeat.
Lyon go into this game in better spirits after winning 3-1 against Auxerre at the weekend, making it seven wins from their last nine games.
Lyon also remain in contention for Champions League qualification in their domestic league and will be looking to carry that momentum into the second leg.
Despite their good form, they face the challenge of never having progressed from the first leg of a European knockout tie when they drew the first leg at home in their last nine attempts.
United, on the other hand, can look back on a good record against French teams, with 10 wins and 4 draws from their last 14 encounters. But can that simply make up for the many absences? I seriously doubt it!
Odds analysis
“2nd half to be the highest scoring” at 1.90 – a solid tip! In Olympique Lyon’s last 6 away games, more goals were scored in the second half. This statistic suggests that the second half could also be the highest scoring period in this match.
I simply have to mention the “Over 2.5 goals” option at 1.62, which was already mentioned in the Manchester United Lyon AI prediction!
Olympique Lyon has scored at least 3 goals in its last 6 games. This suggests a high goal potential in this game, which makes the corresponding tip particularly attractive.
Manchester United vs Lyon odds: OL will fight!
It’s really surprising that the bookmakers are giving Lyon so little chance when you look at their impressive away record in the UEFA Europa League.
The French side are unbeaten in 12 away games (9 wins, 3 draws) – a run that dates back to December 2017, when they lost to Atalanta. This strong away form could be crucial in this clash with an English club.
In addition, Lyon have lost only once in their last nine European Cup games against English teams (1 defeat, 4 wins, 4 draws), with their only poor result being a 3-0 defeat to West Ham in 2021.
The French side’s form in the Europa League against English opponents therefore shows a high level of resilience, which could well help them achieve a good result. Why the bookmakers are not taking this into account more strongly is beyond me.
United with massive absences!
It’s true that Manchester United’s experience in the UEFA Europa League is a big advantage for them. They are still unbeaten this season (6 wins, 5 draws) and have an impressive record, which further strengthens their chances in the European competition.
Their unbeaten run so far is reminiscent of a similar streak in the 2010/11 season, when they also went unbeaten in their first 11 European games – although that run ended with a 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final.
However, the number of injured players could be the key to a weaker result for the Red Devils.
With key players such as star striker Zirzee, Obi, Martinez, Heaven, Evans, Diallo, de Ligt, and Collyer missing, the squad lacks the necessary depth and quality.
Especially in a competition like the Europa League, where the level of play remains high, these absences could leave big gaps and affect the overall strength of the team. How United deals with this difficult situation will be crucial.
Looking for a very interesting player tip? Rayan Cherki has turned out to be a real revelation this season. With 11 goal contributions (3 goals, 8 assists) in 11 games, he leads the rankings for players with the most direct goal contributions in this competition.
Particularly noteworthy is that he has set a record with his 8 assists – no one has provided more assists in a single Europa League season.
Cherki’s strong performance in the first leg, in which he scored the equalizer, further underlines his importance to Lyon and could make him a key player in the second leg.
My Manchester United Lyon prediction:
This will be a brutally close affair, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the French side ended up advancing to the quarterfinals.
They should score at least one or two goals against the Red Devils, who have both a goalkeeping problem and are without defensive stalwart de Light.
Accordingly, my Manchester United Lyon prediction is: Lyon will not lose in regular time.
