Hoffenheim vs Lyon: kick-off time, team news and prediction (Europa League)

Hoffenheim host Lyon at the PreZero Arena on Thursday 22 October 2026, kick-off 20:00 (Cameroon time), on matchday 3 of the Europa League. Match centre.

The match

20:00 TSG Hoffenheim Lyon

Tip: Lyon win 61%

• 19:00 in Abidjan, Dakar, Bamako, Accra, Conakry
• 20:00 in Kinshasa, Brazzaville, Douala, Yaoundé, Libreville, Lagos
• 21:00 in Lubumbashi, Kigali, Bujumbura, Johannesburg, Paris, Brussels
• 22:00 in Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam

Form

Lyon won 2-1 at Anderlecht and 3-2 against Crystal Palace last Thursday, then came from behind to beat Nice 2-1 on Sunday (Šulc, Tessmann) despite Keito Nakamura's red card. They top Ligue 1 on 14 points, on goal difference. Hoffenheim lost 2-0 at OFI and 3-2 to Beşiktaş, and have won three of nine games this season, the latest 2-1 at Mönchengladbach on Saturday (dpa).

Team news

• Pavel Šulc did not travel with a knee problem; Paulo Fonseca named 18-year-old Rémi Himbert to start in his place.
• Lois Openda, Nicolas Tagliafico and Mohamed Ouédraogo are injured. Nakamura is in the squad: his ban applies to Ligue 1 only.
• Hoffenheim are without Nathan De Cat, Albian Hajdari and Patrick Wimmer, according to Sports Mole.

The table

Lyon are 8th on 6 points, the last direct qualifying spot for the last 16. Hoffenheim are 30th on 0.

Head to head

Three meetings, three draws: 3-3 and 2-2 in the 2018-19 Champions League, 2-2 in the Europa League in November 2024.

Our prediction

UEFA Europa League · Today 20:00 TSG Hoffenheim vs Lyon

TSG Hoffenheim21 % Draw18 % Lyon61 %

Over 2.5 goals 79 % Both teams score 73 %

Our pick : Lyon

Our model, a Poisson model based on recent goals scored and conceded, gives Hoffenheim 21%, the draw 18% and Lyon 61%. Most likely score according to our model: 1-2. It sees over 2.5 goals in 79% of cases and both teams scoring in 73%. It does not account for the absences of Šulc and Openda.

Also on Thursday: Sturm Graz vs Marseille preview.

A prediction is a probability, never a certainty. Betting is for people aged 21 and over.