Preview: Lyon vs. Nice

Preview: Lyon vs. Nice

Lyon can extend their unbeaten run at Groupama Stadium to three consecutive matches in Ligue 1 when they battle Nice on Friday.

Last weekend, L’OL were shut out 1-0 at Marseille, while Nice stretched their unbeaten run to six consecutive matches in all competitions by blanking Brest 1-0.

The era of Laurent Blanc as manager of Lyon has been filled with inconsistencies from one match to another, with the former seven-time domestic champions struggling to generate much offensively a week ago.

While that defeat against Marseille came after back-to-back victories, the problem plaguing Les Gones is that they cannot seem to gain any ground in the standings, losing six of their seven league fixtures played against teams ranked ahead of them in the table.

They collected six points from their first three matches under Blanc, just one fewer than they managed under outgoing manager Peter Bosz in his final seven top-flight fixtures before his sacking.

After 14 games this season, Lyon have been patient in their build-up, stringing together plenty of passes before launching an attack, sitting second in Ligue 1 in possession (58.72%) and passes.

L’OL have already suffered six defeats domestically in 2022-23, which is more than half of their total from a season ago when they lost 10 league fixtures and finished eighth.

So far during this campaign, they have earned just a single point when conceding the opening goal, losing three times this year by a 1-0 score.

Following a poor start to the campaign, winning only two of their first nine league games, Nice have taken some baby steps in the right direction, winning three of their last five domestic encounters.

Since the end of August, Lucien Favre has seen his side show more composure away from home and find ways to get results, losing just one of their last eight road matches in all competitions.

A solid group stage campaign at the Europa Conference League seems to have instilled some much-needed confidence in a group struggling at the start of the season, with Nice topping their group with nine points.

Nice scored a goal or fewer in eight of their opening nine domestic affairs, but they have been better in the attacking third of late, notching multiple strikes in three of their previous four matches in all competitions.

While their form has been better, it is still well off the pace they set in the 2021-22 campaign under Christophe Galtier having lost five matches in 2022-23, two more than a season ago, and accumulating six fewer points so far this season.

Since 2017-18 they have traded victories against Lyon at Groupama Stadium, with L’OL capturing this exact meeting last season, 2-0.

Lyon Ligue 1 form:
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Nice Ligue 1 form:
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Nice form (all competitions):
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We say: Lyon 1-0 Nice
Nice may be in better form at the moment, however, only two of their last six league matches have been against teams in the top half of the table (Paris Saint-Germain and Lorient).

On the opposite side, Lyon have kept their matches close of late, with their last eight fixtures being decided by a goal or fewer, and we believe the quality of Lacazette and Dembele will be enough to earn them three points.

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