Still seeking their first points of the season, Lyon are set to face Strasbourg at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Friday on matchday three of the 2024-25 Ligue 1.
The hosts have lost both of their opening two fixtures and are yet to score a goal, while the visitors remain unbeaten with one win and one draw from their two games.
Match preview
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After last season's abysmal start that saw Lyon take just three points from their first nine games, the worst opening to a campaign in their history, the Kids would have been hoping for a much better start to the 2024-25 term.
Lyon actually had reason to be optimistic heading into the new campaign after they enjoyed a remarkable recovery in the second half of the season under Pierre Sage, who took over at the end of November and led the team from the foot of the table to an impressive sixth-placed finish.
Sage lost just six of the 22 Ligue 1 fixtures he oversaw in 2023-24 and rounded out the season by taking 37 points from a possible 45, leaving them in incredible form to end the campaign.
Combined with spending over £100 million on transfers in the summer window, Lyon would have fancied their chances of having a strong start to the season, but they once again find themselves without a point after two matches.
They kickstarted the campaign with a dismal 3-0 defeat to Rennes, followed by a 2-0 loss to AS Monaco at home, leaving them in 17th and one of just four teams yet to record a point.
Sage will be aiming to avoid a repeat of that disastrous start to last season, aiming to record their first win as soon as possible, but Strasbourg will serve another stern test for Lyon.
Strasbourg are yet to lose in Ligue 1, drawing 1-1 with Montpellier in their opening fixture and beating Rennes 3-1 at home in their most recent outing.
New boss Liam Rosenior, who replaced Patrick Vieira in the summer, will be thrilled with his team's strong start to the season, particularly after Strasbourg's poor finish to the previous campaign and their disappointing pre-season.
The Blue-and-Whites won just one of their final five Ligue 1 fixtures in 2023-24, losing the remaining four, and failed to record a single victory in their seven pre-season outings.
Rosenior will be tasked with continuing that positive momentum this year, aiming to climb back up the standings after two underwhelming years of fighting against relegation for Strasbourg.
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Team News
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Sage is likely to be without Ernest Nuamah, who was taken off just 17 minutes into their defeat to Monaco due to an injury, for this game, while Nicolas Tagliafico is also ruled out with a calf injury.
Still in search of their first goal and points of the 2024-25 season, Sage will be looking to summer signing Georges Mikautadze, who netted an impressive 13 goals in 20 Ligue 1 appearances last year, and Alexandre Lacazette, who scored 22 times across all competitions in 2023-24, to provide the firepower for his side.
Nemanja Matic could also return to the starting lineup in an effort to bolster the team's defensive stability, partnering with Maxence Caqueret in the midfield.
For the visitors, Milos Lukovic, Dion Sahi and Thomas Delaine are all set to continue their stay on the sidelines, with them all expected to return in September.
Following their 3-1 victory against Rennes last time out, Rosenior could opt to name a similar starting 11 against Lyon on Friday evening.
Lyon possible starting lineup:
Perri; Mata, Caleta-Car, Niakhate, Maitland-Niles; Matic, Caqueret; Benrahma, Fofana; Mikautadze, Lacazette
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Johnsson; Doue, Sow, Sylla; Bakwa, Santos, Doukoure, Wiley; Diarra; Moreira, Emegha
We say: Lyon 1-1 Strasbourg
While Lyon have had a torrid time in their opening two matches, we believe Sage's side possess more than enough quality to challenge Rosenior's Strasbourg team, leading us to believe this one will end all square.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
