Lyon vs Paris SG prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-09-02 18:45.
After beginning their league season with a pair of defeats for the first time since the 1960s, Lyon finally got their first point on the board with a goalless draw against Nice over the weekend. This still remains their worst three-game start since they also had one point after three rounds in 1992/93, although the mood has improved since boss Laurent Blanc called for his own sacking, with the manager “suffering together” with his team to get that elusive point.
Sticking together is going to be particularly important if the seven-time French champions are going to get the better of the current and 11-time champions, PSG. Not since 2000/01 have Lyon endured a four-game winless start to a league season, but they look in serious risk of replicating that chastening feat unless they can end a run of five straight winless home H2Hs (D1, L4), although they did actually go on to finish second that season!
Luis Enrique’s PSG were rocked by a summer of hefty transfer dealings and the exit of icons such as Lionel Messi and Neymar amongst others, which may have influenced their relatively slow start. The Parisians did register their first win at the third attempt last weekend (W1, D2), and with Kylian Mbappé back firing along with strong showings from the new boys in that 3-1 win against Lens, the new look PSG should be a force to be reckoned with.
Taking to the road is unlikely to hinder Enrique’s PSG either, as they are enjoying an eight-game unbeaten run of away league games (W6, D2), with each victory in that sequence seeing them score at least twice. In fact, PSG have won each of their last five away league games in the month of September going back to a 2020 defeat at Lens, and four of those victories came without reply, including a 1-0 success here in Lyon!
Players to watch: Lyon’s very own World Cup and Champions League winner Corentin Tolisso will hope to build on his four goals scored against PSG, although he has lost to them a career-high ten times. Trying to outdo him will be Enrique’s former Spain charge Marco Asensio, who has impressed in his first couple of appearances in a PSG shirt, scoring the opening goal to get off the mark last weekend.
Hot stat: Lyon have failed to win eight of their last nine league games as pre-match outsiders (W1, D2, L6).