Lyon vs Marseille prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-02-03 19:45.
Back-to-back defeats have plunged Lyon right back into trouble in Ligue 1, just as they looked to be turning a corner. Three wins in a row before then had seen Les Gones drag themselves off the foot of the table, with new manager Pierre Sage breathing new life into the squad. However, a 3-2 loss to Rennes last time out means they remain in the relegation play-off place ahead of the round.
That defeat also means that Lyon have already suffered more losses (11) than in the entirety of 20 of the 25 prior league seasons. That underlines the scale of the challenge facing Sage, who is tasked with ensuring the club arenât playing second-tier football next term for the first time since 1988/89, but he can at least draw faith from the fact that his side have won two of his three home matches at the helm (L1).
He may be confident of extending that run in this âChoc des Olympiquesâ against Marseille, who have only won one of their last 12 away H2Hs (D4, L7). That will further concern some of the clubâs fans, who have been barred from making the trip due to violence at the reverse fixture, although that might be a blessing for them, as LâOM have managed just one league victory in nine attempts on their travels in 2023/24 (D4, L4)!
There is also a fear that Gennaro Gattusoâs men could be without European football next season for the first time since 2019/20, after a sequence of three successive draws leaves them playing catch-up in the race for the top-six. Two of those results came against sides who started this round in the bottom half of the table, but it was a 2-2 stalemate against Monaco last Saturday that set alarm bells ringing the most, as Marseille were twice forced to come from behind against a team who they had the numerical advantage against from the 11th minute.
Key battle: Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes has only kept one clean sheet in his last eight Ligue 1 H2Hs (W2, D2, L4). Attempting to score past him will be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who hasnât lost a league game in which he has scored since December 2019 (W24, D6).
Hot stat: Lyon have conceded a joint-league high 19 first-half goals this campaign.