Lyon and Strasbourg will return to action on Saturday night as the Ligue 1 sides clash at Stade des Lumieres.
Lyon form guideInconsistency has been the name of the game for a Lyon side that currently finds itself in 8th place. They’ve won as many games as they’ve lost and while they have the players necessary to go even further, team cohesion is the key ingredient currently missing.
Following the end of the winter break, they returned to action with a comfortable 4-2 victory over Brest. Unfortunately, the honeymoon didn’t last long as they fell 1-0 to Clermont on New Year’s Day.
A close win against Metz in the ninth round of the Coupe de France eased some tensions, prior to a disappointing 0-0 result courtesy of draw specialists Nantes.
Strasbourg form guideThere’s no shortage of entertainment value when it comes to Strasbourg and what they bring to Ligue 1. Alas, that’s only led to them picking up one victory in 18 games all season long, with their goalscoring exploits being the only thing giving fans hope as they sit in 19th.
A tough, tough clash with Paris Saint-Germain greeted the visitors on December 28th and despite putting up a good fight, they still fell to a 2-1 defeat. They went on to battle hard once again against Troyes, with their opponents securing all three points in a 3-2 thriller.
Strasbourg proceeded to draw 0-0 with Angers in the Coupe de France before being knocked out on penalties, setting themselves up for another heartstopping Ligue 1 game when they drew 2-2 with RC Lens.
Latest team newsThere’s some worry in the air for Lyon as Julian Pollersbeck, Jerome Boateng and Henrique are all out through injury. Houssem Aouar, meanwhile, will be assessed closer to kick-off.
As for Strasbourg, Colin Dagba is still on the shelf with Thomas Delaine, Eiji Kawashima and Karol Fila being deemed fitness concerns.
What am I backing?In our view, the smart money goes with a narrow Lyon victory. They’ll have a lively home backing, Strasbourg can’t find a win to save their lives, and the hosts will have enough in their tank to get past a side that always brings the drama.