Prediction: Lyon vs Monaco

Verdict: Draw

Best Odds: 2/1


Bookmaker: bet365

Morale-boosting victory over Ligue 1 holders is just what Lyon need to recover from the poor run of results, but defeating high-flying Monaco is easier said than done. The Principality club did suffer a setback against Montpellier last time out, but they have been pretty impressive since the season began.

Lyon

Lyon enjoyed a pretty good campaign last term, finishing behind Monaco, PSG and Nice in the league standings, so no wonder that Bruno Genesio was given the vote of confidence ahead of the new season. However, the club chiefs definitely did not make his job easier, having allowed Valbuena, Tolisso, Gonalons, Lacazette, Mammana, N’Koulou, Rybus, Ghezzal and Darder to leave the club. Les Gones did sign some worth replacements, notably Mariano Diaz, Bertrand Traore and Marcelo, but the squad rebuilding process could now take some time, and that has clearly affected the results in the opening exchanges. With the Europa League group stages also kicking off, Lyon largely struggled during the busy schedule and they are now winless in last five matches. Les Gones didn’t do too poorly up front, scoring 8 goals in the process, but they also conceded 10 goals, meaning that under-pressure boss Bruno Genesio needs to quickly find a way to patch up the leaky defence or else the team will be in real problems. Upcoming fixtures against Monaco and Everton will serve as stern tests and it remains to be seen how well Lyon will cope.

Team News

All Lyon footballers appear to have returned from international duty unscathed, but defender Marcelo is missing through suspension.

Monaco

Similar to Lyon, Monaco stayed without a number of key men from last season, selling some star players for huge profit, but the new players seem to have fitted right in, unlike their les Gones counterparts. This has allowed the Principality Club to enjoy a strong start to the season, although they have now suffered two serious setbacks. Monaco were first beaten 3-0 by FC Porto in a Champions League fixture, before they played out a 1-1 draw with Montpellier in Ligue 1. The interesting thing is that both of those matches were played at Stade Louis II, whereas the team boast a decent away record, having won three of four league games on the road. The 4-0 loss to Nice, however, could be a cause for concern ahead of the trip to Parc OL, but the good news is that Lyon have been far from impressive of late. With Kylian Mbappe and Bernardo Silva gone, Radamel Falcao has stepped up the plate big time, scoring 12 goals in 8 league fixtures, but Monaco will need few more players to start chipping in with goals if they are to keep up with leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Team News

Stevan Jovetic misses out after picking up an injury on international duty, but Adama Diakhaby has resumed training.

Key Factors to Consider

• Both teams scored in their last four meetings
• Their last two matches were won by the visiting team
• Lyon are winless in last five (D4 L1)
• Monaco won three of four Ligue 1 games on the road (L1)
• Six of Lyon’s last eight matches ended in draws

Conclusion

Lyon haven’t quite managed to live up to the billing, but the team have got a lot of quality and they are tough to beat both home and away. Monaco, on the other hand, appear to be on a downtrend and we expect the two sides to share spoils in Decines-Charpieu.

Verdict: Draw

Best Odds: 2/1

Bookmaker: bet365