After finishing on the third spot of Ligue 1 table last season, Lyon now have big ambitions. The bad news for them is that many other French teams have high hopes for 2018/2018, including their next opponent Reims, a team that got promoted after winning Ligue 2. Surely, Lyon do seem as big favorites at first look, but Reims won’t surrender without a fight.
Reims
Reims finished on the top of the Ligue 2 last season without too many problems. Actually, they won a total of 88 points, which was 15 more than the second-placed Nimes. Reims were fantastic in the attack, which was to be expected from them, but they also did very well defensively, allowing only 24 goals for the whole season.
They’re now competing in a much tougher league, but judging from their performance in the first round, they’re going to achieve their goal for this season which is to remain in the top French tier. In their first match of the season 2018/2018, Reims beat Nice in an away game.
They’re now facing a bit tougher opponent, but on the bright side, they’re playing at their own turf, Stade Auguste-Delaune II. This is the place where they’ve always been a tough nut to crack and considering their defensive prowess, Lyon will have a pretty tough time on Friday evening.
Lyon
Lyon were very busy this transfer period, but unfortunately for their fans, they sold more player than they bought. Actually, they sold several key players, which made their budget bigger by almost 60 million Euro. However, it’s still a question whether they will be able to manage without those players in the team, unless they make new signings ASAP.
Some of the players that left the club this summer include N’Koulou, Darder, Mateta, and Diakhaby. No big signings were made to spend the rather large transfer budget, but it seems that Lyon manager, Bruno Genesio is satisfied with the squad he has at his disposal. At least for now…
Lyon started the season very well, beating Amiens SC 2:0 in a match in which they were huge favorites. But, now they’re facing a bigger challenge and not everyone is certain that they’re gonna be able to achieve their goal of getting six points after two games.
Furthermore, Lyon have a couple of problems with absentees. Their main goalie, Anthony Lopes is suspended for the incident he was part of in a last season’s game. Because of the suspension, he will be off the pitch until 20th of August. A few other plyers are struggling with fitness, including Fernando Marçal who is likely to miss the Reims clash.
Team News
Reims absentees
- None
Lyon absentees
- Anthony Lopes (suspension)
- Fernando Marçal (injury)
Possible Lineups
Reims
Mendy – Fontaine, Abdelhamid, Metanire, N’Clomande – Romao, Chavaverin, Martin, Oudin, Doumbia – Chavarria
Lyon
Gorgelin – Morel, Marcelo, Dubois, Mendy – Tousart, Aouar, Cornet, Depay, Fekir – Diaz
Reims vs Lyon Match Prediction
Lyon are favorites here, there’s no doubt about that. However, I don’t think their job is going to be easy on Friday evening. Reims are great at defending, not to mention that they’re going to have a lot of support from the stands of their stadium, which is guaranteed to give their players a boost of confidence. But, can they stand out to Lyon’s attacks? It’s unlikely, but then again, I’m sure they won’t get humiliated by Les Gones.
Reims vs Lyon Betting Tips
- Reims +1.5 AH @1.42 (bet365)
- First Half Draw @2.30 (Unibet)