Manchester United F.C. vs. Olympique Lyonnais Prediction on April 17, 2025

Match info

On Thursday, April 17, 2025, Manchester United F.C. and Olympique Lyonnais will square off in the pivotal second leg of their 2024–25 UEFA Europa League quarter-final at Old Trafford. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time. Both teams are playing with everything on the line as a semi-final spot in the second-tier European men’s club football competition is up for grabs following an exhilarating 2-2 draw in the first leg.

Meeting statistics

The current form of Manchester United F.C.

With six wins and five draws in their 11 games, “The Red Devils” have had a strong Europa League season thus far. They’ve proven to be resilient and consistent, finishing third in the enlarged League phase. Their 2-2 tie in Lyon demonstrated the tenacity that manager Ruben Amorim had fostered in their players.

The strength of the English Premier League team is its well-rounded strategy. They’ve scored 23 goals and given up 13 in the tournament, demonstrating their ability to net consistently while playing disciplined defense. United has a strong identity in European competition right now thanks to Amorim’s tactical system, which places an emphasis on poise, pressing, and smooth buildup play.

Man Utd have been hard to beat at Old Trafford, despite their current record of two wins, two draws, and one loss in their last five games. The Premier League team will want to set the pace and push for an early lead with the support of their home fans and a clear goal in sight. After all, they are Europa bookmakers’ heavy favorites to win the quarter-final rematch.

The current form of Olympique Lyonnais

“Les Gones” (The Kids) are confident when they go to Manchester because they know they can compete on par with a quality team. They’ve won six games, drawn four, and lost just one in their stellar Europa League season. They demonstrated their competitiveness at this level by earning 15 points and placing sixth in the League stage.

The tactical style of the French Ligue 1 McDonald’s side under the direction of manager Paulo Fonseca is based on rapid passing, fluid movement, and seamless transitions. The fact that they’ve scored 25 goals in 11 games shows how effective they are at attacking. However, the fact that they’ve only given up 11 goals indicates that their defense can withstand pressure.

With three victories, one draw, and one loss in their previous five games, Lyon’s recent play has been marginally better than Manchester United’s. They gained confidence from the 2-2 first-leg outcome, which demonstrated that they could compete with one of the most illustrious teams in England.

Head-to-head

With three victories and three draws in their six meetings, Manchester United have a better head-to-head record versus Lyon.

Match analytics

Based on current momentum, Lyon enter the return leg in slightly better form than Manchester United, whose previous five games indicate a mixed bag. But Old Trafford’s atmosphere and the pressure of playing in the knockout stages might make the difference. The home field advantage of “The Red Devils” and familiarity with handling stressful European evenings give them an advantage. Lyon are still very much in the running, though, because of their aggressive strategy and potent offensive arsenal.

We think Manchester United will win by a slim margin and go to the Semi-finals, but Lyon will put up a fierce fight. The game should be another exciting chapter in this top-8 matchup, as both clubs are sure to score.

Tip: Winner and both teams to score: Man Utd / Yes, with odds of 3.4 on Smarkets.