Pierre Sage takes his Crystal Palace side to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais for a Europa League fixture that marks a full-circle moment for the 47-year-old. Born an hour and a half from Lyon, Sage played his entire amateur career on the city's outskirts before beginning his coaching journey at semi-professional side Lyon-Duchère. He progressed to become a youth coach at Olympique Lyonnais in 2019, then served as assistant manager at Paris club Red Star before rising through the ranks to replace Fabio Grosso as head coach in November 2023. Under his leadership, Lyon secured Europa League qualification in 2023-24. After moves to Lens and now south London, this return feels significant.
Early Kick-Off Excitement
Meanwhile, Torreense, struggling domestically this season, became 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 now relish the visit of Sunderland. The Black Cats, down in 17th in the Premier League, also won their Europa League opener, beating AZ last month, hoping their European adventures kickstart their domestic season.
Other Fixtures to Watch
Elsewhere, RB Salzburg v Milan and Union Saint-Gilloise v Real Sociedad could be Champions League fixtures in another campaign, while Bayer Leverkusen face a tricky trip to Lech Poznan. The 5.45pm BST games are covered in this liveblog, with Simon Burnton providing a separate clockwatch for the 8pm BST kick-offs.
