Preview: Lyon vs. Nice - prediction, team news, lineups

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.

Match preview

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 over 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:

L

D

L

W

W

L

Nice Ligue 1 form:

L

W

D

D

W

W

Nice form (all competitions):

D

D

W

W

D

W

Team News

Alexandre Lacazette has been one of the bright spots for Lyon this season as the former Arsenal striker has eight goals domestically, the third-most among players aged 30 or older in the top five European leagues this season, behind Robert Lewandowski (13) and Neymar (11).

Anthony Lopes has two clean sheets at home this season, stopping five Lille efforts in a 1-0 triumph at the end of October, Karl Toko Ekambi has six goals in his career against Nice as he and Moussa Dembele had the only strikes the last time they hosted Les Aiglons.

Corentin Tolisso will not be back until mid-November because of a thigh injury, while Blanc made one change to his starting 11 versus Marseille as Johann Lepenant replaced Damien Da Silva.

Gaetan Laborde has a goal in three straight matches in all competitions for Nice, notching the only strike in their victory over Brest last weekend as Kasper Schmeichel made two stops to collect his first clean sheet at home this season.

Andy Delort is without a goal since mid-October when he scored the opener in a 1-1 draw at Auxerre, while Khephren Thuram, who found the back of the net four times a season ago, is still searching for his first of the new campaign.

Marcin Bulka will be sidelined until late November due to a shoulder injury, while two players who were not in the opening lineup when they drew Koln 2-2 in the Europa Conference League started for them over the weekend as Jordan Lotomba and Aaron Ramsey, replaced Thuram and Melvin Bard.

Lyon possible starting lineup:

Lopes; Tagliafico, Lukeba, Boateng, Gusto; Mendes; Tete, Caqueret; Faivre; Lacazette, Dembele

Nice possible starting lineup:

Schmeichel; Atal, Todibo, Dante, Lotomba; Boudaoui, Lemina, Thuram, Diop; Pepe, Laborde

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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