Real Sociedad vs Lyon prediction 05.11.2026 | UEFA Europa League

Pellegrino Matarazzo's side have demonstrated considerable consistency overall, losing just once in their last six matches across all competitions. However, much of their positive form has come in LaLiga, where they have generally produced more convincing performances. Their Europa League campaign has been considerably less impressive, with the exception of an emphatic 6-0 victory over Norwegian side Lillestrøm.

Real Sociedad have otherwise struggled to find consistency in Europe, suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth before being held to a 1-1 draw by Union Saint-Gilloise. While the thrashing of Lillestrøm highlighted their attacking potential, their performances in the other two fixtures suggest that Matarazzo's men are not yet entirely reliable at this level. 

Luka Sučić has been one of their standout performers, contributing six goals in 13 appearances this season. However, Matarazzo will have to manage several absentees, with Álvaro Odriozola, Arsen Zakharyan and Luken Beitia all expected to miss Thursday's encounter through injury.

Paulo Fonseca's side arrive in Spain after recording a 2-0 victory over Angers, which ended a difficult sequence of results that included consecutive defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Hoffenheim.

Their European performances have been relatively inconsistent, particularly defensively, having failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their three outings.

In terms of team news, Lyon are expected to be without Nicolas Tagliafico, Mohamed Ouédraogo, Tyler Morton, Pavel Šulc and Loïs Openda. Noah Nartey has been a positive performer in midfield, scoring twice this season, while Keito Nakamura offers another attacking option.