This Friday, the only duel from the French Ligue 1 is the one between Lyon and Nimes. The match takes place at Lyon’s turf, the Groupama Stadium, where this team is always considered a favorite. But, Nimes have snatches points from some pretty big clubs this season and are hoping to do the same this time. Can they actually manage it? Find out in this Lyon vs Nimes match preview!
Lyon
Lyon are currently in an interesting situation. They’re reasonably high on the Ligue 1 table and have also been doing well in the Champions League. However, their good run got shaken a little bit recently. They got hammered by 10-men PSG in the previous round, when the score was 5:0 for the team from the French capital.
A match before that was the one with Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, which Lyon had to play before closed stadium. The final score was 2:2, but Lyon had serious problems to avoid a defeat. Speaking of the Champions League, Lyon play against Hoffenheim just four days after the clash with Nimes, so their minds might already be in Germany.
Another reason why beating Nimes might not be as easy task as many would think is that Lyon are struggling with injuries. A number of their A-team players are either sidelined or struggling with fitness. One of their best players, Nabil Fekir is out due to an injury and the same goes for Rafael. On top of that, Tousart will miss the game because of a red card.
The thing that’s going in their favor is the fact that they’re great at home. In fact, this year they’ve been tremendous each time they played at their turf, losing only twice in 2018.
Nimes
This is a team that played in the French second tier last season, but after finishing on the second place in Ligue 2, they got promoted to the top flight. Obviously, their biggest concern this season is staying in Ligue 1. It’s not going to be an easy job, but Nimes are on the good road to avoiding relegation.
This team is currently on the 10th place on the table, which isn’t too much considering that nine rounds have passed. However, considering that the teams above them have only a few points more is a real encouragement for their fans.
Furthermore, unlike many other relegation candidates, Nimes have already played against some of the biggest teams in the league, including PSG and Olympique Marseille. Another thing giving their fans hope is that Nimes have lost only twice so far. The first two defeats they suffered at the beginning of the season when Toulouse and Ligue 1 champions PSG beat them. And the third loss happened when they played Montpellier some two weeks ago.
Team News
Lyon absentees
- Nabil Fekir (injury)
- Martin Terrier (injury)
- Amine Gouiri (injury)
- Kenny Tete (injury)
- Rafael (doubtful)
- Lucas Tousart (suspension)
Nimes absentees
- Pierrick Valdivia (doubtful)
- Martin Sourzac (doubtful)
Possible Lineups
Lyon
Lopes – Denayer, Morel, Dubois, Mendy – Ndombele, Cornet, Diop, Traore, Aouar – Depay
Nimes
Bernadoni – Landre, Briancon, Alakouch, Maouassa – Bobichon, Valls, Thioub, Ripart – Depres, Guillaume
Lyon vs Nimes Match Prediction
Lyon are huge favorites here, which can’t be a surprise as their players are much, much better than the ones of Nimes. But, I don’t think they’ll have a field day on Friday evening. Nimes are guaranteed to give them a run for their money. Therefore, I think a one-goal difference win for the hosts is the most probable outcome.
Lyon vs Nimes Betting Tips
- Lyon @1.36 (William Hill)
- HT-FT X-1 @4.50 (Unibet)
- Nimes +1.5 AH @1.90 (1XBet)