Lyon vs Nice prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-02-15 20:00.
Pierre Sage has masterminded a sensational revival since taking charge of Lyon in late November. Les Gones were staring down the barrel of a potential relegation to the second-tier before Christmas, but five wins from their last seven Ligue 1 matches (L2) have not only hauled them out of the bottom-three, but also to within touching distance of the top-half of the table.
The most recent of those results was a 2-1 victory at Montpellier in which Lyon came from behind to win a league fixture for the first time since May 2023. Continuing their strong form might be tough against high-flying Nice though, as the hosts have only picked up four points this season against teams currently in the top-six (W1, D1, L4).
If it comes as any consolation, one of those points did come in a 0-0 draw when these two sides met in August – a result that means Nice have lost just one of the last six H2Hs (W3, D2). The Eaglets need to rekindle that kind of form in this fixture, having suffered a damaging 3-2 defeat to Monaco on Saturday that reduced their cushion in the top-four to just four points.
History suggests bouncing back shouldn’t be a problem for Francesco Farioli’s side, as they have not suffered successive league defeats since April. However, the manager will surely be concerned over a run of four losses in eight top-flight outings since early December (W3, D1) which is threatening their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2017.
Players to watch: Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette has accumulated six goals across his last four home H2Hs (W1, D3) – scoring at least once in each. He’ll be looking to outgun Gaëtan Laborde, who has won five of the last six away games in which he has netted (D1).
Hot stat: Nice average a division-high of 2.69 points per game in league matches in which they have scored first this season (W11, D2), but are also the only Ligue 1 team yet to pick up a single point in matches in which they have gone 1-0 down (L4).