UEL Preview: Lyon Travel to Face Qarabağ; Nice Host Rangers

Olympique Lyonnais and OGC Nice will attempt to secure wins on Matchday 5 of the UEFA Europa League league phase. Here's a preview to help you get ready for the two thrilling matches as the two teams position themselves to advance to the next stage of the competition.

OL vs. Qarabağ FK

Lyon currently sit in ninth place, right out on the outside of the top eight spots, so this road contest against Qarabağ is a vital fixture if Pierre Sage and his team want to finish in the positions that allow them to qualify automatically for the knockout stage.

Les Gones need to get back to their winning ways as they only have one victory in their last six matches (four draws and one loss) across all competitions. Although the team needs a win, Sage noted to the media on Wednesday that Qarabağ will be a challenging opponent.

"We approach this match as usual, with the goal of being effective, both in the play and in the result... It is a team capable of very good performances, as we saw against Ajax. In terms of defense, we have identified opportunities, but we will need to be at a high level to take advantage of them. So, it is a great challenge that awaits us [on Thursday]."

Qarabağ have struggled this Europa League campaign as they only have one win and three losses, but that victory came on Matchday 4, so they'll have confidence when they host OL.

OGC Nice vs. Rangers

Nice will have manager Franck Haise on their sidelines when they host Rangers FC after he went to the emergency room due to suffering from a migraine during the match against RC Strasbourg this past weekend. On Wednesday, Haise spoke to the media about the ordeal.

"I’m feeling better. I had some tests on Sunday night and again yesterday. They showed that I have (...) good blood pressure. Since it was a serious issue and there was concern about a possible neurological problem, that's why I was taken to the ER."

"I’ve been receiving treatment since today, and everything’s going well. It’s just a reminder that sometimes you need to dig a little deeper. It was helpful and made me realize there was something to manage. That’s the positive side of it."

Nice will be looking for their first win of this Europa League campaign as the Ligue 1 side have two draws and two losses so far and sit outside the top 24 to advance to the next phase of the competition. Rangers are third in the Scottish Premiership, so it will be a challenging opponent for Nice to get their first European win this season.

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