Corentin Tolisso will lead Lyon into Sunday’s season finale at Groupama Stadium where a victory over Lens will book them a place in next season’s Champions League.
Lyon sit third in the Ligue 1 table heading into the final matchday and arrive after a 2-1 loss at Toulouse last week. A win on Sunday would, at worst, secure Lyon a place in the Champions League qualifiers and, if combined with a Lille slip-up, would lift them straight into the Champions League league phase.
If Lyon win their final game they would reach 63 points — their best total in this competition since the 2020-21 season, when they finished with 76. The club’s home form gives them reason for confidence: Lyon have won their last three Ligue 1 matches at Groupama Stadium, have scored multiple goals in each of those wins and a victory on Sunday would take them to 12 home victories at Groupama for the first time this decade. Lyon have also won their final Ligue 1 home fixture in each of the last four campaigns, beating Angers 2-0 in last season’s home finale.
Lens, meanwhile, have already assured themselves of a place in the Champions League and could still push for a higher finish: a win this weekend would leave them with at least 70 points, their most since the 2022-23 campaign when they finished on 84. But Lens arrive on uneven footing after a 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and a troubling pattern on the road — they have dropped points in five straight Ligue 1 away matches and collected just two points from their last five away. They are also winless away from home against teams currently in the top four this season and failed to score in their three away matches against those sides.
There are sharper edges to the picture. Lens do possess a record at Groupama Stadium that belies their recent away run: they have won their last three visits to Lyon across all competitions and only in March did they eliminate Lyon from the Coupe de France quarter-finals on penalties. In 2026 there is one striking stat that could matter on the day — Lens have a 100% away record when they score an opening-half goal, although they have done that just once this year, beating Paris FC 5-0 in February.
Selection and fitness questions add another layer. Orel Mangala is likely to miss the match because of a leg injury, Remi Himbert has a sore ankle and Tanner Tessmann is doubtful with a muscle issue. On the other side of the ledger Regis Gurtner has a hamstring strain and Jonathan Gradit remains doubtful with a lower leg problem. Florian Thauvin managed some minutes in midweek despite a previous knock, and Saud Abdulhamid is eligible to return from suspension — small shifts that could influence either side’s shape and approach.
The arithmetic is blunt: a Lyon victory hands them 63 points and a ticket to the Champions League pathway, while Lens can push to at least 70 with a win. Given Lyon’s recent scoring and winning run at Groupama and Lens’s persistent road struggles against top opposition, Lyon are the team best placed to seize the chance on Sunday and clinch Champions League football for next season.
