Football

Europa League: OL wins match against Anderlecht

Olympique Lyonnais started their Europa League campaign with a victory against Anderlecht, while Rennes failed to secure a win in Graz.

16 September 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Europa League: OL wins match against Anderlecht — Photo: KALMPSPAZ · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Olympique Lyonnais began their group stage in the Europa League with a win against Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, in a match held Wednesday night in Brussels at 9 PM. This encounter marked the first match in this competition for the team managed by Paulo Fonseca.

OL fielded a reshuffled squad due to the proximity of their Ligue 1 match against Rennes scheduled for Saturday night. Rémy Descamps notably made his debut as goalkeeper, reflecting the changes made by the Lyon coach to manage the squad.

Anderlecht, for their part, were bolstered by Léo Pétrot, a former player of Saint-Étienne, who expressed his excitement at playing against his former rival. In a press conference, Pétrot stated that for a Stéphanois, facing OL always has a special significance.

Archive photo: Europa League: OL wins match against Anderlecht — Archive photoPhoto: Sigismond Michalowski · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Vitor Bruno, the coach of Anderlecht, shared an anecdote about Paulo Fonseca, revealing that his father was Fonseca's coach in the 1990s. This added a personal touch to the match, highlighting the connections between the two clubs.

Before the kickoff, both teams had different expectations. While Lyon hoped to get a good start in the European competition, Rennes was preparing for their own match against Sturm Graz, where they ultimately ended in a goalless draw (0-0).

On this opening day of the Europa League, Lyon made a strong start, while Rennes, despite a solid performance, had to settle for a scoreless result.

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