PSG – Lyon: preview
We provide predictions for the encounter between PSG and Lyon in the eighth round of the 2026/27 Ligue 1.
Schedule
The start of PSG’s season is not easy: after Lille, Monaco, Marseille and a heavy Champions League calendar, the Parisian side must face Lyon, who fell in the last week of European competitions.
Key points
PSG
1. PSG accelerates unexpectedly
Due to a poor start and a demanding schedule, the Parisian side is not yet a solitary leader, but this season they have reached form earlier than in the previous two. In the last two seasons, PSG recovered in the Champions League and finished in the group stage. Now they have won two consecutive matches with 4:2 victories over Manchester City and Barcelona. In the league they have also stabilised: the team continues to play with an experimental squad before and after European matches, but even with it they must beat Le Mans and Strasbourg, which has been proven. PSG has a streak of seven consecutive wins in all competitions.
2. PSG suffers four major injuries; Hvidt out long-term
The result against Barcelona, despite the win, did not overly please PSG fans. Three key players of the Parisian side were injured. Now the team must play without Hvidt Kvarcseli, who suffered a tibial cruciate ligament rupture. In a show of support, he was offered a contract until 2032. Additionally, outside of the game, Usman Dembele and Markinos are dealing with hip injuries. Nuno Mendes is still recovering, but Lucas Hernandez played a quality match against Barcelona. Despite the serious opponent, Luis Enrique will not rule out rotating half the squad after the Champions League.
3. PSG has conceded five consecutive matches
The capital club under Luis Enrique has always been offensive, but there were no defensive problems as severe as this season. Matvey Safonov has lost only one clean sheet, against Brest. In the last five games, the team has conceded seven goals, and while matches against Champions League rivals are almost inevitable, the defensive rotation felt in the games against Strasbourg and Le Mans. With Markinos and Nuno Mendes not playing, the match against a serious rival will likely continue the poor run for the Parisian side.
Lyon
1. Lyon leads the league, but fell last week in the Europa League
The team started successfully in the league. Yes, there were unconvincing matches against Gavro (1:1) or Lans (1:2), but they are minor. Now Lyon surpasses teams with the same number of points, including PSG, on additional indicators. After the Champions League exit, Paulo Fonseca’s students have not performed poorly in the Europa League, beating two tough opponents: Andrellecht (2:1) and Crystal Palace (3:2). However, Lyon does not always have squad depth, as shown by the match against Hoffenheim, which lost 0:3.
2. Fonseca rotated in European clubs, Nakamura suspended, Openda and Schulz doubtful
In the match against Hoffenheim, the Lyon side that made a small adjustment in the Europa League played with an experimental squad: goalkeeper Dominique Greaf, who had lost his place in the starting line‑up, appeared, and three changes were made in defence. All bench players will return at the start in Parc des Princes. However, the team still has offensive problems: Loyi Openda and Pavel Schulz were injured and their participation is doubtful, and Keito Nakamura was sent off in the last league game.
3. Lyon beat PSG at Parc des Princes last season, but had lost six consecutive matches
The meetings of the current French giant and the best team of the country in the 2000s are no longer the same. Last season, Lyon earned three points at Parc des Princes, but the goal‑scorers of that match, Endrick and Afonso Moura, are no longer in the squad. Before that, Olympique lost six consecutive matches. In most of them, they resisted the Parisian side: both matches in 2025 ended 3:2 in favour of PSG. But there were also heavy defeats: in the 2023/24 season, the Parisian side won both fronts with 4:1. Lyon’s opportunity lies in the rotation of the owners, but in the guest offensive side the losses are too severe.
Approximate formations 4-3-3 4-3-4-2-3-1 39 Safonov 4 Beraldo 6 Zabarni 12 Dinь 33 Zayir-Emri 17 Vitinia 8 Ruiz 27 Fernandes 14 Dues 11 Aklush 9 Torres 40 Desham 22 Mata 19 Nyakate 13 Atakama 16 Vinicius 2 Bidstrop 6 Tessmann 26 Budaš 99 Narti 7 Numa 45 Imber
Betting on the trend
In five of the last seven matches, four goals were scored. TB 3.5 – at 1.95.
In three of the last five matches, Lyon scored two goals. IT2B (1.5) – at 3.05.
Prediction
PSG vs Lyon 26.10.2026 22:30
PSG does not lead the table alone due to a bad start, conceding to Lyon on additional indicators. However, this season the Parisian side reached form earlier than in the two previous ones, allowing them to dominate Manchester City and Barcelona in the Champions League. PSG suffers major squad losses: Hvidt Kvarcseli is out long‑term, and Nuno Mendes, Markinos and Usman Dembele will not help the team. After the quality European match, Luis Enrique will continue rotating in the league. PSG’s defence is concerning: this season, Matvey Safonov has only one clean sheet.
Lyon fell last week by a large margin to Hoffenheim in the Europa League, but in this encounter Paulo Fonseca deployed an experimental squad. The participation of key attackers, Pavel Schulz and Loyi Openda, is doubtful. Before the last victory, Lyon lost six consecutive matches against PSG. Assume the Parisian victory, despite the sub‑optimal squad.
Prediction: 2-1
