Will OL maintain their lead at the top of the table?
The moods in Bern and Lyon could hardly be more different at the moment. While Young Boys are going through one of the most difficult phases in the club’s recent history and are struggling to get a foothold, especially at the national level, the atmosphere in France’s third-largest city is exuberant.
No wonder, as OL currently has six competitive wins in a row, has won eight of its last nine matches in all competitions, and also leads the ranking of the 36 clubs in the Europa League group stage. The discrepancy in the status quo of the two clubs alone provides a first compelling argument for my Young Boys vs. Lyon tip on Thursday evening to also clearly favor Fonseca’s team.
Les Gones have won five of their six Europa League matches so far and, together with Midtjylland, have scored the most goals in the competition (13). Although their ticket to the round of 16 is not yet guaranteed with a three-point lead, there is little to suggest that OL will slip out of the top 8 with two games remaining at the Wankdorf Stadium and at home against PAOK next week.
This is especially true given that the former French serial champions not only won all three matches in the 2026 calendar year, but have also not lost since the beginning of December. The 0-1 defeat in Lorient was also their only loss in their last ten competitive matches. Also interesting: OL have scored at least twice in seven of their last nine matches. Given their strong form, their performances in the Europa League so far, and their superior quality as a team and individually, I see no alternative but to predict an away win for Young Boys and Lyon.
This assessment is supported by the fact that the hosts are currently in a state of extreme turmoil and chaos. Head coach Gerardo Seoane is under heavy criticism after his team lost their last two league games in 2025, lost both test matches in winter preparation, and finally lost 1-3 at home to Lausanne-Sport in the restart at the weekend. Five consecutive defeats with a goal difference of 3-17 and three red cards in the last three competitive games point to deep-rooted problems that make it virtually impossible to put the high odds on a home win on the betting slip ahead of Young Boys’ clash with Lyon.
BSC Young Boys – Lyon Head-to-head record
This is the first time that Young Boys Bern and Olympique Lyon will face each other in the European Cup. Curiously, this is the former Swiss champions’ second consecutive EL home game against a French club. On matchday six, YB pulled off a somewhat surprising 1-0 win against Lille. However, a lot of time has passed since then, and almost everything has taken a turn for the worse for Seoane’s team. To make matters worse, OL has faced Swiss teams three times in its history and has always come out on top.
Young Boys – Lyon Tip
Of their last 29 home games in the Europa League, the Bernese have lost only nine (19-9-0). Certainly, the artificial turf at the Wankdorf Stadium is an unfamiliar challenge for many opposing teams. Nevertheless, I strongly disagree that Young Boys have a good chance of a home win against Olympique Lyon on Thursday evening.
YB’s current form is too worrying, and the overall environment in the Swiss capital is too unsettled. The 1-3 defeat against Lausanne-Sport at the weekend has also sparked a fundamental debate among the sixth-placed (!) team in the Super League.
In contrast, OL are currently brimming with enthusiasm, deservedly leading the Europa League standings with five wins from six games and a goal difference of 13:3, and have won six matches across all competitions. I therefore recommend betting on an away win between Young Boys and Lyon.
