OffsAIde
·17 August 2026
Lyon face star-studded Fenerbahçe after heavy summer outlay and steady European start

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·17 August 2026

Lyon face Fenerbahçe in the Champions League play-off first leg on Tuesday at 21:00 in Istanbul. According to L'Équipe, the Istanbul club have reloaded with high-profile recruits and their early European outings have been broadly encouraging, though Lyon need not be overly wary.
Before the play-offs, they edged Gornik Zabrze 1-0, then drew 1-1 in the second qualifying round, before defeating Sturm Graz 2-0 and 1-0 in the third.
After spending more than €120m last season, the club from Türkiye have again invested around €90m this summer. The arrivals include Mason Greenwood, Vedat Muriqi, Nathan Aké and Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku, 33, is the most recent signing from a strong group not all past their peak. He has yet to be fully integrated into the side.
Fenerbahçe bring momentum from qualifying and a refreshed squad to this tie. The opening instalment in Istanbul should show how quickly these additions mesh.
Source: L'Équipe
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