These sides came into the game in opposite form, with Young Boys losing their prior three competitive outings, while Lyon had won eight of their previous nine matches in all competitions.
Yet, it was the home side who edged the opening stages, albeit without much substance to show for it, until the half’s midway point when Alvyn Sanches smashed an effort off the crossbar.
Lyon took heed of that warning and regained control of possession leading into half-time. The French side had their best chance of the first period when Afonso Moreira collected the ball outside the box and drifted forward, but his shot was denied by Marvin Keller.
The visitors continued to press before the interval and found the breakthrough in first-half stoppage-time when Ainsley Maitland-Miles punished the Young Boys' defence and pounced on the loose ball in the box before rifling into the top corner.
Young Boys went in pursuit of the equaliser following the restart but were stifled in the first few minutes. Their continued pressure eventually looked to have restored parity on the hour mark through Sanches’ clinical strike after he broke through the Lyon defence, but following a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out for a narrow offside.
Lyon again took heed of the threat that the home side posed and shored up their defence for the remaining half-hour as Young Boys had to commit more men forward.
This, however, left their defence vulnerable on the break, but Lyon were content to sit on their one-goal lead, which was ultimately enough for Fonseca’s men to claim a sixth victory of the UEL campaign and secure their passage into the Round of 16 with a game spare.
Young Boys, meanwhile, will likely need at least a point away to Stuttgart next Thursday to secure a place in the playoffs.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Miles (Lyon)