Overview
The first leg closed with a dramatic scenario when Lyon scored a late equalizer right on Spanish soil, thereby maintaining balance before the rematch.
Coach Paulo Fonseca's team controlled most of the match time, surpassing in ball possession and creating more clear opportunities. However, the lack of sharpness in finishing made it impossible for them to quickly convert the advantage into a goal.
Despite being inferior in terms of game, Celta Vigo was the team to open the score. Javi Rueda took advantage of the opportunity in the middle of the first half to put the home team ahead. The turning point of the match came in the second half when Iglesias was sent off after an elbowing situation with Clinton Mata, leaving Celta with only 10 players and giving a great advantage to Lyon.
However, despite playing with more players, Lyon had to wait until the final minutes to find an equalizer. Endrick shone with a decisive long-range shot, defeating goalkeeper Ionut Radu to bring home a valuable goal.
This goal not only helps Lyon retain the psychological advantage before the second leg but also has important significance for Endrick personally, as he impressively ended his 4-match goalless streak.
Recent achievements in the Europa League also bring optimism to Lyon, as they have reached the quarter-finals twice in their most recent participations.
However, the current form of the French team is a worrying issue. After a streak of 13 wins from December to February, Lyon has clearly declined when they have not won in the last 6 matches in all competitions, including 3 draws and three defeats. Notably, they were also eliminated from the French National Cup after a penalty shootout against Lens.
In the opposite direction, Celta Vigo has reason to regret not being able to preserve the advantage in the first leg. However, coach Claudio Giraldez's team still showed discipline and good organization, causing many difficulties for Lyon for most of the match time. Goalkeeper Radu also had a hard working day with many important saves.
Celta Vigo is returning to the European arena for the first time since the 2016-2017 season, when they reached the semi-finals before stopping before Manchester United.
Despite lacking experience in this stage, the Spanish representative still showed quite stable form with two wins, two draws and one defeat in the last 5 matches in all competitions.
Personnel situation
Lyon is facing a series of injury problems, a factor considered to be the cause contributing to the decline in form recently.
Pavel Sulc, who has contributed 14 goals this season, has not yet been able to return due to a hamstring injury. Afonso Moreira is also absent for similar reasons, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles is having problems with his closed muscles.
In addition, Malick Fofana is in the process of recovering from an ankle injury, Ruben Kluivert has muscle problems, and Ernest Nuamah will have to be sidelined due to a cruciate ligament injury. Two other names, Noham Kamara and Remi Himbert, are also not ready to play, causing Fonseca's squad depth to be significantly affected.
On the other side, Celta Vigo also suffered a personnel loss when Iglesias was suspended after a red card in the first leg. Oscar Mingueza also could not participate due to suspension for accumulating enough yellow cards.
Besides, Ferran Jutgla and Manu Fernandez are having problems with head and muscle injuries, while Miguel Roman is definitely absent.
Expected lineup:
Lyon: Greif, Mata, Niakhate, Kango, Tagliafico, Morton, Tolisso, Tessmann, Vinicius, Endrick, Yaremchuk.
Celta Vigo: Radu, Alonso, Starfelt, Rodriguez, Carreira, Moriba, Vecino, Rueda, Swedberg, Duran, Aspas.
The match between Lyon and Celta Vigo takes place at 0:30 am on March 20 (Vietnam time).
