RSC Anderlecht vs Olympique Lyonnais

Lyon made the ideal start to their Europa League campaign, racing into a two-goal lead inside the opening half hour and holding off a second-half fightback to beat Anderlecht 1-2 at Lotto Park. The visitors' fast start proved decisive. Noah Nartey opened the scoring in the 8th minute, pouncing on a loose ball to beat Colin Coosemans, and Keito Nakamura doubled the lead in the 22nd, leaving Anderlecht 2-0 down at the break despite enjoying more possession. Mihajlo Cvetković pulled one back in the 61st minute, turning in a low ball from Ali Maamar. There were no red cards or penalties, though Lyon's Moussa Niakhaté and Mohamed Ouédraogo were both booked. It's a tough opening result for Anderlecht, who dominated possession but couldn't convert territory into enough clear chances. Lyon showed the efficiency of a side with genuine European ambitions, banking three points on the road to open their campaign in style.