Lens vs Lyon prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-09-14 18:45.
[p]Two teams who finished only two points apart last season meet in round four of Ligue 1, with Lens already four points ahead of visitors Lyon. It has been a fine domestic start for new Lens manager Will Still who has seen his side take seven points from their first three league games (W2, D1), although they did throw away a 2-1 first leg advantage in their Conference League play-off against Panathinaikos, falling to reach the league phase as a result.[/p]
[p]Ahead of this round of matches, games involving the Blood and Gold have had the joint lowest number of goals in the division, but their fans are unlikely to be complaining about a lack of entertainment with their team once again looking strong to challenge for the European places, while a five-match unbeaten home league run (W3, D2) should only serve to boost belief.[/p]
[p]Lyon’s matches have been a little more eye-catching for the neutral this season, with 12 goals flying in across their first three games. Seven of those came in their 4-3 victory over Strasbourg in round three as they turned a 3-1 deficit into a lead across 12 second-half minutes. That was a crucial victory for Pierre Sage’s men who had failed to score or pick up a point in their opening matches against Rennes and Monaco.[/p]
[p]Having already conceded eight times in this campaign, Lyon certainly need to tighten up at the back. Lens may not be an ideal opponent to showcase any new-found resilience against as Lyon lost both H2Hs last season, conceding three goals in each, and they haven’t won at this ground since 2015 (D2, L2).[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Przemysław Frankowski came off the bench to score twice in this fixture last December and he will be pushing for a start in this game after his equaliser, also as a substitute, via a 93rd minute penalty in round three. Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette has lost three of his last six H2Hs against Lens, with the other three games being victories in which he scored![/p]
[p]Hot stat: Lens have failed to score in only one of their last 16 home league matches.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Tom Penn[/i][/p]