Champions League qualifying play-off first leg: Fenerbahçe vs Lyon facts

There is a heavyweight contest in the UEFA Champions League qualifying play-offs as Fenerbahçe meet Lyon in Istanbul in the first leg of their tie.

Previous meetings

This is the teams' sixth meeting, and a second in three seasons following a 0-0 draw in Istanbul in the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League.

Lyon had won the first four games between the clubs – 3-1 at home and 1-0 away in the 2001/02 first group stage and 4-2 in France and 3-1 in Türkiye in the 2004/05 group stage.

Fenerbahçe have lost 12 of their 25 European games against French opponents (W6 D7) but only two of the last 11 (W3 D6), although a 2-1 home win against Nice in the league phase of last season's Europa League ended a six-match run without a victory (D4 L2).

However, the Turkish team have lost their last four two‑legged ties against French sides, most recently 2-3 on aggregate to LOSC Lille in the 2024/25 Champions League third qualifying round (1-2 a, 1-1 h aet).

Lyon's record against Turkish teams is W6 D2 L6; they are without a win in three games (D1 L2).

OL have won two and lost two of their four two‑legged ties against Turkish opponents, most recently beating Beşiktaş 7-6 on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate draw in the 2016/17 Europa League quarter-finals.

Form guide

Fenerbahçe

Fenerbahçe are aiming to reach the Champions League proper for the first time since making their sixth appearance in 2008/09; they have since lost nine times in qualifying.

The Turkish team have lost all three of their Champions League qualifying play‑offs, most recently 0-1 to Benfica last season (0-0 h, 0-1 a).

Lyon 

Lyon are bidding to return to the Champions League proper for the first time since 2019/20, when they reached the semi‑finals; they featured 16 times in the group stage.

The French club are in the qualifying play-offs for the first time since 2013/14, when they went down 0-4 on aggregate to Real Sociedad (0-2 h, 0-2 a) to make their record at this stage W2 L1.

Links and trivia

Fenerbahçe are unbeaten in this season's Champions League (W3 D1), beating Górnik Zabrze of Poland 2-1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round (1-0 h, 1-1 a) and Austria's Sturm Graz 3-0 in the third (2-0 h, 1-0 a).

That means Fenerbahçe – who went on to reach the Europa League knockout phase play-offs in 2025/26, losing 2-4 on aggregate to Nottingham Forest – are unbeaten in five European games (W4 D1).

The Turkish team are unbeaten in six home matches in Champions League qualifying (W4 D2), winning both this season without conceding.

Talisca has scored in all four of Fenerbahçe's games in this season's competition.

Lyon started this season in the third qualifying round, beating Sparta Praha 4-2 on aggregate (1-2 a, 3-0 h).

The second-leg win against Sparta was Lyon's 150th European Cup match.

Lyon have won five of their last six two‑legged ties in Champions League qualifying.

Having reached the Europa League round of 16 in 2025/26 – losing 1-3 on aggregate to Celta Vigo – Lyon have won eight of their last 12 European matches (D1 L3).