Sage suffers defeat to former side as Palace lose in Lyon
Pierre Sage lost to his former side as Crystal Palace fell to a 3-2 defeat to Lyon in the Europa League
Key points
- Crystal Palace lost 3-2 to Lyon in the Europa League.
- Pierre Sage faced the club that sacked him in January 2025.
- Palace play Brighton on Sunday, then visit Besiktas in Europe.
Crystal Palace fell to a 3-2 defeat against Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday. Pierre Sage, the Palace boss, was facing the club that sacked him in January 2025.
Lyon took a two-goal lead through Corentin Tolisso and Ernest Nuamah either side of half-time. Palace had no shot on target in the first half.
Palace fightback falls short
Yeremy Pino pulled a goal back in the 50th minute with a strike at the near post. Pavel Sulc then restored Lyon's two-goal lead in the 76th minute, flicking in Keito Nakamura's shot.
Daichi Kamada, who had earlier seen a penalty claim waved away after contact from Nuamah, halved the deficit with under 10 minutes to go. The comeback ultimately fell short.
It's a very disappointing return because we lost. I can't take satisfaction from coming back home or seeing familiar faces when the result isn't there.
— Pierre Sage
Sage reacts to defeat
Sage said it was a very disappointing return because his side lost. He said the scoreline may have been close, but there was a big difference in the way the two teams played.
He added that Palace were nowhere near their usual standards in the first half and improved after the break, but conceding the third goal made things difficult.
What the result means
Palace lost to the team that cost them their place in the Europa League last season due to former co-owner John Textor also being a majority owner in the Ligue 1 side.
Palace will look to bounce back against rivals Brighton on Sunday before a trip to Besiktas in their next European outing.
