Key events
GOAL! Lyon 3-2 Crystal Palace (Kamada 81)
Kamada has made a real difference since coming on and he has his goal! It’s another game of pinball inside Lyon’s box after Khalaili makes a break down the right wing, but this time Kamada makes no mistake, arrowing a shot through a crowd of bodies. Palace are back in it, but time is running out.
80 min: Torreense 1-1 Sunderland
Torreense are digging deep as they try to hold onto this 1-1 draw. Since Xhaka has come on, Sunderland’s full-backs have had license to pour forward. Mukiele and Reinaldo are basically playing as wingers as the Black Cats try to find a winner.
GOAL! Lyon 3-1 Crystal Palace (Sulc 76)
Off the bench, Lyon’s No 10 has surely dealt a decisive blow to Palace! Abner gets free down the right for the hosts but is tracked by Disasi. Abner crosses to Sulc, who looks offside as he flicks a finish past Benitez, but replays show the Czech international is played onside by the retreating Disasi! Lyon have their two-goal cushion again and Palace have it all to do!
73 min: Torreense 1-1 Sunderland
A very similar save in Portugal as Ahoka is denied a second goal by Torreense’s goalkeeper, Lucas Paes! Ahoka had a bit more time to set himself and chose power over placement from close range, with Lucas Paes saving with his feet! Sunderland are knocking on the door now for this winner.
71 min: Lyon 2-1 Crystal Palace
Greif makes a point-blank save to deny Kamada! Pino crosses and the ball comes loose with the Japanese fastest to react, but Greif springs off his line and spreads himself to deny Palace an equaliser!
GOAL! Torreense 1-1 Sunderland (Ahoka 67)
Sunderland are back in the game! It’s one of Le Bris’ subs that makes the difference, with Mukiele wriggling free down the right and delivering a searching cross. Ahoka rises and plants a header right into the corner. It was rather weak but right in the corner and Lucas Paes was completely wrong-footed in the Torreense goal. A huge goal for Sunderland!
Huge penalty shout for Palace!
67 min: Lyon 2-1 Crystal Palace
Moments after Abner tested Benitez in the Palace goal, the English side counter-attack at breakneck speed. Mitchell flies down the left wing and feeds Kamada, who gets goalside of Nuamah and tumbles inside the Lyon box. It looks at first glance to be a surefire penalty, but the referee waves play on, and VAR completes their check without note! It was certainly clumsy from the Lyon goalscorer, who certainly impeded Kamada. The referee obviously deemed the contact to be acceptable.
63 min: Lyon 2-1 Crystal Palace
The visitors are certainly looking the more threatening, and Sage has brought on Kamada and Nketiah for Sarr and Strand Larsen. There is still plenty of time for a Palace equaliser. A draw in Lyon would be a fine result.
GOAL! RB Salzburg 0-3 Milan (Cisse hat-trick)
Cisse completes his hat-trick, tapping in another simple finish after a centre from Rabiot. This stat courtesy of Opta: at the age of 19 years and 358 days, Cisse became the youngest Italian player in the history of the major European competitions to have scored three or more goals in a single match.
59 min: Torreense 1-0 Sunderland
Le Bris has seen enough and makes a quadruple change. Here come the cavalry, as Reinildo, Mukiele, Le Fée and Xhaka all come off the bench. Not a day to remember for the replaced Methalie, Hume, Angulo or Fofana.
56 min: Torreense 1-0 Sunderland
The Portuguese side somehow survive as Angulo is left all alone six yards out. The Ecuadorian has a free header but Lucas Paes makes a brilliant save in the Torreense goal … the ball breaks loose … it’s a tap in for Alderete … surely … but the big Paraguayan completely miscues and Torreense hack the ball clear!
GOAL! Union Saint-Gilloise 0-1 Real Sociedad (Turrientes 46)
A terrible mix-up between Kamiel Van de Perre and keeper Hervé Koffi gifts a chance to Turrientes and the Real Sociedad midfielder nips in to tackle the ball into the net!
GOAL! Lyon 2-1 Crystal Palace (Pino 51)
From the resulting corner, Palace score! It’s a short-corner routine straight off the training ground, and it’s inevitably Wharton that plays the decisive pass. As the ball is rolled back to the Englishman, with Lyon expecting either a cross or a shot, Wharton slips a deft through ball through to Pino, and the Spain international blasts his finish into the roof of the net! Game on!
50 min: Lyon 2-0 Crystal Palace
Sarr plays a lovely one-two and gets to the byline, pinging a beautiful low cross across Lyon’s six-yard box. Strand Larsen is nowhere to be seen, caught on his heels. That’s the sort of chance that Mateta would eat up. Pino collects the loose ball and wins Palace a corner.
47 min: Torreense 1-0 Sunderland
Sunderland immediately earn a promising free-kick on the edge of Torreense’s box and – perhaps inspired by the exploits of Torreense goalscoring centre-back – Alderete steps up, elbowing Angulo off the set piece. Sunderland’s centre-back sends his shot over the bar. Strange that Angulo didn’t take that, especially given his peach of a free-kick against Ipswich in August.
Peeeeeeeeep!
We’re underway again in our eight early kick-offs.
Half-time reading:
Half-time scores
Half-time: Lyon 2-0 Crystal Palace
A desperately poor half from Palace. Lyon haven’t been scintillating either, but have scored from their two big chances.
GOAL! Lyon 2-0 Crystal Palace (Nuamah 45+2)
On the stroke of half-time, Nakamura gets free down the left and crosses to Nuamah, who beats Mitchell to the ball and tucks the finish past Benitez! Disastrous timing for Pierre Sage’s side!
Half-time: Torreense 1-0 Sunderland
Sunderland’s first away day for 53 years is not going well. The second-tier Portuguese side have a shock lead.
GOAL! Lech Poznan 0-3 Bayer Leverkusen (Schick 41 pen)
Patrik Schick scores the third Leverkusen goal in just over 10 minutes from 12 yards, sending the Lech keeper the wrong way. That’s Schick second penalty of the half, adding to a Malik Tillman strike.
40 min: Torreense 1-0 Sunderland
If Le Bris was on the fence about making half-time changes, he surely won’t be now. Sunderland are yet to have a shot on target. Malick Fofana, who topically signed from Lyon on deadline day for £31m (and also nearly signed for Palace), has been desperately poor on the left wing.
GOAL! Torreense 1-0 Sunderland (Feltes 37)
Volnei Feltes scores one of the goals of the season and Sunderland are stunned by the Portuguese second-tier side! The centre back scores a sensational solo goal, ambling forward from the back, chopping inside Sadiki and then bending an unstoppable curler from 30 yards right into the top corner. Phwooooaaaah! What a goal. Roefs had no chance with that, postage stamp stuff!
34 min: Lyon 1-0 Crystal Palace
One of the most bizarre yellow cards you will see! Pino crosses for Sarr from the left, the latter glancing an effort towards goal amid a crowd of limbs. Greif in the Lyon goal makes a good save, tipping Sarr’s header over the bar, but the referee inexplicably gives a handball against Sarr. It appears the official thinks Sarr glances the ball with his hand, rather than his head, but that is simply not the case. And when Sarr tries to argue his case, and for a Palace corner, the Palace forward is booked!
30 min: Torreense 0-0 Sunderland
We’re yet to see a shot on target from either side. I would not be surprised if Le Bris makes a host of changes at half-time. Remember his bench includes Brobbey, Diarra, Mukiele, Le Fee and Xhaka.
27 min: Torreense 0-0 Sunderland
It’s unsurprising to see Le Bris very unhappy in the Sunderland dugout about that goal being chalked off. He’s giving the fourth official an earful.
Sunderland goal disallowed!
24 min: Torreense 0-0 Sunderland
From an O’Nien long throw, there is a flick on at the near post and Tutierov steals around the back to nod home at the near post on his first senior start for Sunderland! The Ukrainian looks absolutely delighted before the referee whistles to disallow the goal. Replays show that it was a Torreense defender that actually got the near post flick, so Tutierov can’t have been offside, but maybe Alderete was penalised for a push?! It’s unclear. I personally think that is a perfectly good goal!
21 min: Lyon 1-0 Crystal Palace
Sarr can’t get into the game. This is the first start of the season for Palace’s coveted Senegalese but he hasn’t got going. Yet.
18 min: Torreense 0-0 Sunderland
Torreense look more than comfortable at the moment and win a corner down Sunderland’s left flank. Hume does well to win his header at the near post and clear.
GOAL! RB Salzburg 0-1 Milan (Cisse 14)
A bullet header from the teenage Alphadjo Cisse has given Milan the lead from an Omari Hutchinson cross. Great delivery from the Forest loanee there.
10 min: Lyon 1-0 Crystal Palace
Palace haven’t yet ironed out their defensive troubles this season and were very lucky in the win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend. Forest were so wasteful and should have scored at least a couple more, leaving with a 3-1 defeat despite their xG of 3.34. Lyon will have watched that game with interest.
GOAL! Lyon 1-0 Crystal Palace (Tolisso 8)
Lyon’s captain, Corentin Tolisso, prods home from a corner to give his side an early lead! Nuameh delivered a dangerous cross to the near post. Both Canvot and Mitchell failed to clear the ball and Tolisso, formerly of Bayern of course, reacted fastest and toe poked the ball past Benitez from close range.
5 min: Lyon 0-0 Crystal Palace
Ernest Nuamah is a livewire and Lyon’s top scorer this season and the winger goes at Mitchell down the right wing, winning a corner.
3 min: Torreense 0-0 Sunderland
O’Nien, who knows a little bit about lower-league football having joined Sunderland in League One back in 2018, heads just wide from a corner. The 31-year-old really should have done better. Sunderland are playing in their pink away kit that they sported in the defeat to Ipswich. Régis Le Bris is donning something of a pre-season vibe – t-shirt and trackies – in the Sunderland dugout.
Peeeeeeeeeep!
We’re underway in our eight early kick-offs.
Here we go! Our 5.45pm BST kick-offs are imminent. Adam Wharton captains Palace in the absence of the injured Dean Henderson. Lyon’s stadium does look a little sparse, you have to say. Perhaps more will file in, it’s around 6.45pm BST local time.
This is taken from Louise Taylor’s preview of Torreense v Sunderland:
Torreense’s home ground, the Estádio Manuel Marques in Torres Vedras, 31 miles north of Lisbon, holds 2,431 spectators, falling short of Uefa regulations. This has prompted the match being switched to the medieval town of Leiria, an hour’s drive north of Torres Vedras and almost two hours from the luxury Lisbon hotel where Sunderland are basing themselves after failing to find suitable accommodation elsewhere.
Just for context, Torreense’s home ground is about the size of an average Isthmian League ground in the seventh tier of English football. The Municipal Stadium in Leiria holds around 23,000.
RB Salzburg v Milan teams!
There is also a heavy English presence in the Milan side to face RB Salzburg, with Tomori, Loftus-Cheek and Omari Hutchinson all in Ruben Amorim’s XI. Hutchinson has only played for 18 minutes in Serie A since joining on loan from Nottingham Forest but could feature a lot more with Alexis Saelemaekers now out of action for several months.
RB Salzburg: Zawieschitzky, Morgalla, Boma, Zabransky, Schmid, Barry, Mazurek, Lindstrom, Kitano, Baidoo, Tabakovic.
Subs: Fruchtl, Sarcevic, Mellberg, Tohumcu, Vertessen, Kratzig, Drexler, Lainer, Redzic, Diakite, Camara.
Milan: Maignan, Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic, Hutchinson, Jashari, Rabiot, Bartesaghi, Loftus-Cheek, Cisse, Camarda.
Subs: Torriani, Estupinan, Goncalo Ramos, Pulisic, Diawara, Modric, Chukwueze, Moreira, Comotto, Gila, Filippo Terracciano, Musah.
Torreense start with Malik Abubakari up top, a big 6ft1in striker from Ghana who is preferred to Dany Jean, despite the latter being the top scorer for the club this season. Álex Alfaro, formerly of Deportivo La Coruña and who scored in the opening win over Lillestrom, anchors the midfield.
Sunderland are strong favourites but Régis Le Bris has taken a risk in selecting a much-changed side, albeit with an extremely strong bench that can be summoned if needed. It’s unsure who exactly will be playing as the furthest forward, most likely Fofana, although it could also be Tutierov, who makes his first senior start tonight. The Ukrainian, signed in 2023, was on loan at Exeter City last season.
Let’s unpack those line-ups:
A crucial injury to forward Loïs Openda, on loan from Juventus, during the defeat to Lens at the weekend means Lyon have had to reshuffle their attack. Nakamura will lead the line but most likely as a false nine in a fluid attack. Tyler Morton has been excellent for the last few months and linked with a return to the Premier League and starts in central midfield, while Football Manager heads will notice former Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Julien Duranville is on the bench for Lyon.
Palace have fielded their strongest possible XI, no messing about from Sage, who will want to impress and prove a point on his return to Lyon. He still owns a house in the city and has admitted that he “still feels part of Lyon, somehow.”
Torreense v Sunderland teams!
Torreense 4-2-3-1: Lucas Paes; Diadie, Mutombo, Volnei, Vazquez; Oudrhiri, Alfaro; Pozo, Zoabi, Joao Marques; Abubakari.
Subs: Adriel, Bjerre, Stopira, Alcedo, Jean, Aguirre, Drammeh, David Bruno, Quintero, Rodrigo Guerreiro, Marco Silva, Gustavo Rijo.
Sunderland 4-2-3-1: Roefs; Hume, O’Nien, Alderete, Methalie; Ahoka, Rigg; Nilson Angulo, Sadiki, Fofana; Tutierov.
Subs: Moore, Danso, Brobbey, Mandava, Diarra, Mukiele, Le Fee, Xhaka, Whittaker, Jones, Proctor, Ogunsuyi.
Lyon v Crystal Palace teams!
Lyon 4-3-1-2: Greif; Athekame, Bacher, Kluivert, Abner Vinicius; Morton, Nartey, Tolisso; Merah; Nuamah, Nakamura.
Subs: Bengui Joao, Descamps, Bidstrup, Tessmann, Sulc, Mata, Duranville, Boudache, Kango, Himbert, Kamara, Niakhate.
Crystal Palace 3-4-2-1: Benitez; Richards, Disasi, Canvot; Mingueza, Timber, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Strand Larsen.
Subs: Matthews, Benetton, Nketiah, McNeil, Kamada, Hughes, Ahanor, Osorio, Khalaili, Benamar.
Preamble
Pierre Sage is something of a Lyon man, a Lyonnais if you will. He was born an hour and a half away, played his entire amateur career on the outskirts of the city before starting his coaching journey at semi-pro side Lyon-Duchère, progressing to being a youth coach at Olympique Lyonnais in 2019. From there, via a stint as assistant manager at Paris side Red Star, he rose up through the ranks, eventually replacing Fabio Grosso as head coach in November 2023, leading Lyon to Europa League qualification in 2023-24. After moving onto Lens and now south London, this feels something of a full-circle moment for the 47-year-old as he takes his Crystal Palace side back to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais for what we hope will be a Proper Game.
Our early kick-offs are full of wonder. Torreense might be struggling domestically this season but after becoming the first Portuguese second tier club to lift the Taça de Portugal with a 2-1 win over Sporting in May, they beat Lillestrom in their Europa League opener and are relishing the visit of Sunderland. The Black Cats are also hoping their European adventures kickstart their domestic season, with Régis Le Bris’ side down in 17th in the Premier League having also won their Europa League opener – beating AZ last month.
There is plenty more besides. Both RB Salzburg v Milan and Union Saint-Gilloise v Real Sociedad feel like they could be Champions League fixtures in another campaign, while Bayer Leverkusen face a tricky trip to Lech Poznan.
Here are the 5.45pm BST games we will be covering in this liveblog, while Simon Burnton will be along later with a separate clockwatch to cover the 8pm BST kick-offs. Enjoy!
