Olympique Lyonnais and OGC Nice meet at the Groupama Stadium on Sunday, 18 October 2026, in one of the key fixtures of the seventh round of the French championship.
Both sides head into the match with notable selection concerns, with Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca and OGC Nice boss Olivier Pantaloni having to work around a number of absences.
Olympique Lyonnais
Moussa Niakhate returned to the squad for Lyon’s most recent European match against Crystal Palace, but Fonseca remains without several other players.
Lois Openda is unavailable after suffering a fracture to the right fibula during the match against Lens. Nicolas Tagliafico is still recovering from the injury he sustained while on international duty with Argentina during the latest international break.
Mohamed Ouedraogo is also expected to be sidelined for an extended period following surgery.
Lyon’s probable starting XI is:
Goalkeeper: Dominik Greif
Defenders: Ruben Kluivert, Felix Bacher, Abner, Zachary Athekame
Midfielders: Tyler Morton, Corentin Tolisso, Noah Nartey, Khalis Merah
Forwards: Keito Nakamura, Ernest Nuamah
OGC Nice
Pantaloni will take OGC Nice to Lyon with a squad weakened by a lengthy list of absentees.
Laurent Abergel, Moise Bombito and Antoine Mendy are not yet ready to return, while Morgan Sanson still lacks the fitness required to resume competitive action.
Ali Abdi is also a doubt because of a persistent quadriceps problem. There is better news regarding Nathan Ngoumou, who is expected to be available again for the fixture.
OGC Nice’s probable starting XI is:
Goalkeeper: Yehvann Diouf
Defenders: Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Xavier Mandza
Midfielders: Axel Witsel, Hicham Boudaoui, Niels Nkounkou, Jonathan Clauss
Forwards: Mohamed Amoura, Gauthier Hein, Elye Wahi
The match forms part of the seventh round of the French championship, with Lyon hosting OGC Nice at the Groupama Stadium.
According to the odds offered by betting company 1xbet, Lyon are priced at 1.61 to win. A draw is listed at 3.90, while an OGC Nice victory is priced at 4.40.