On Friday, there is a somewhat weaker betting offer than in the previous few days, and this time we have analyzed the opening match of the 22nd round of the French Ligue 1, where Lyon will host Nice at their stadium. It is known that Lyon is playing disastrously this season, and the popular Lions are facing a tough battle for survival, while Nice is fighting for a place in the Champions League, but it seems that the team from the French Riviera is slowly but surely falling behind. The match is scheduled to start at 9 pm.
Lyon: Victory is a Must!
Few could have predicted that Lyon’s footballers would have so many problems in this year’s edition of the French Ligue 1, and as things stand now, it seems that the former champions of this country are facing a fierce battle for survival until the last round. Currently, the popular Lions are in thirteenth place on the table, with only three points less than the teams in the relegation zone. Interestingly, just a few rounds ago, one of the most trophy-laden French clubs was in positions that would mean relegation to a lower division at the end of the championship, but lately, to the great joy of all the fans of this team, Lyon has started to play somewhat better. In the last two matches, Pierre Sage’s team achieved as many victories and managed to move slightly away from the relegation zone, although the situation is still alarming.
First, Lyon celebrated a victory at home in a big derby against Marseille, a duel that ended with a minimal win for the hosts. After that, the Lions finally achieved a triumph away, in the last round at Montpellier, with a score of 1:2. Interestingly, the host took the lead first and went into the break with a goal advantage, but in the second half, Lyon played much better and first equalized through Lacazette, then in the 82nd minute, a goal by Kockere led to a very important triumph. Before all this, the team lost at home to Rennes in a spectacular match where we saw five goals, ending 2:3.
Coach Sage can be pleased that the team’s best player, Lacazette, has been playing at a very high level lately, as evidenced by the fact that the former Arsenal player has scored as many goals in the last three matches. The former French champions have played eleven home games in the league so far, achieving three victories, as many draws, and five defeats. Importantly, Lyon has won three of the last four matches at their stadium, which is the best indicator that better days for this team are slowly but surely coming.
Nice: The Primary Goal is to Remain Undefeated!
Last season, Nice finished in ninth place in the table, and it’s worth reminding that this club reached the quarterfinals of the Conference League. The season certainly received a passing grade, with the acknowledgment that, unfortunately, a spot in any of the European competitions was not secured, which will, of course, be the primary goal this time as well.
Since Francesco Farioli took over the helm of the team from the French Riviera at the beginning of this season, many great things have happened, and it should be noted that at one point, Nice was even at the top of the table. However, as time passed, this team’s performances gradually weakened, and they currently find themselves in second place in the table, trailing the first-placed PSG by eleven points, who will presumably defend their champion title again.
A characteristic of the French Riviera team’s play so far has been matches with few goals, as before the last round, Nice had scored twenty goals and conceded only eleven. However, in the last round, this team was defeated at their stadium by Monaco in a fantastic duel that saw five goals, ending 2:3 in favor of the team from the principality. Naturally, the question arises of what would have happened if Dante hadn’t received a red card at the beginning of the second half. It’s noteworthy that Nice managed to score even in such a situation where the guests had a numerical advantage, but it wasn’t enough for a new victory in the championship.
In the last five matches, the team from the French Riviera has achieved two victories, two defeats, and one draw. Before their defeat in the last round against Monaco, Nice had drawn in an away game against Brest. That duel ended goalless, with the observation that Brest is playing at a top level this season.
Regarding away performances, the second-placed team in the table has played ten matches away from home, securing four victories, three draws, and the same number of defeats. It’s noteworthy that Francesco Farioli’s squad’s last away win was at the end of October against Clermont, with a score of 0:1. It should be mentioned that Nice, in the meantime, achieved two away victories in the French Cup.
Finally, it’s well-known that Dante has been a cornerstone of Nice’s defense for years, and his absence will be a significant handicap for Nice, who would have had plenty of problems visiting the in-form Lyon even with him.
Our Betting Suggestions
For Lyon, every match until the end of the championship is of crucial importance, although the situation is somewhat more relaxed now than it was just a few weeks ago. On the other hand, it seems that Nice has not been performing as well lately as they did at the start of the championship, and we believe that the host could and should take advantage of this. Therefore, we advise you to opt for a win for Lyon, for which the betting company betBonanza offers odds of 2.70.
A quite decent option for this duel between Lyon and Nice is also the double chance 1X for the host, which at betBonanza is priced at 1.42.
Finally, Lyon has no other choice but to attack their rival from the first minute, who conceded as many as three goals at home in the last round. It seems that Lyon could also “pack” at least two more goals against them, which is why we suggest you try the Lyon total OVERÂ 1.5 Goals bet with great odds of 2.75.
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