LYON, France (Interstat) — Lyon opens its 2026 Ligue 1 campaign at home Sunday against newly promoted Ajaccio, entering the season with momentum from a resounding final preseason victory.

The match at Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu kicks off Week 1 of France’s top flight. It pits an OL side coming off a dominant 4-1 friendly win over Montpellier just one day prior against an Ajaccio team that last played a competitive match over three months ago.

Lyon’s form has been inconsistent in recent months. While the preseason finale was a strong offensive showing, it followed a stretch of just one win in their previous seven outings, including losses to lower-division sides ES Fosseenne and Marseille II in domestic cup competitions. Their league form late last season showed resilience, however, with key wins over Nice, Nantes and Lille.

Ajaccio, returning to Ligue 1, has not played a league match since last season’s promotion. The Corsican club’s most recent result was a 1-1 draw with Tunisia in a friendly on Jan. 3. Their other preparatory matches last fall included a 4-1 win over Madagascar and a 2-0 victory at Chad.

Statistical models heavily favor the hosts. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 2-1 victory for Lyon, while its ELO rating system gives Lyon a 92% probability of winning the contest.

Following Sunday’s opener, Lyon faces a challenging early league schedule. Their next 10 matches include fixtures against Stade Rennais on May 3, a trip to Toulouse on May 9 and a home date with Racing Club de Lens on May 16.

The focus for manager Pierre Sage will be translating preseason promise into immediate points, while Ajaccio manager Olivier Pantaloni aims to spring an early surprise on the road to stabilize his team’s top-flight status.