Our prediction for this Europa League match:
Lyon
Match Time & Date:
30/01/2025
21:00
Prediction: 3-1
Ludogorets
Olympique Lyon will be aiming to put an end to their five-game winless run in all competitions when they take on Ludogorets on Thursday evening. Les Gones are eyeing a top-eight finish and they are seen as hot favourites to beat Ludogorets in front of home fans. As winger Malick Fofana has yet to overcome his injury, Ernest Nuamah should keep his place in the starting XI. Experienced striker Alexander Lacazette is widely expected to lead the line for the hosts.
The Bulgarian champions, on the other hand, aim to recover from a 2-0 loss to Midtjylland. As Ludogorets missed out on a spot in the knockout stages, we are tempted to place our bets on Lyon, who want this win more than the visiting team. Midfielder Pedro Naressi is back from suspension, while the likes of Duah, Tekpetey, and Witry are out of contention with injuries for the Bulgarian outfit.
Highlighted Player (Saïd Benrahma):
Said Benrahma is an Algeria international who started his club career at Nice. The pacey winger made his Ligue 1 debut during the 2013/2014 season and after scoring 3 goals in 17 appearances for les Aiglons in the French top flight, he moved to the Championship team Brentford in the summer of 2018.
Said Benrahma was born in Ain Temouchent, Algeria on August 10, 1995 and it has to be noted that he played for the likes of Angers, Gazelec Ajaccio and Chateauroux on loan before joining the Griffin Park outfit. The Algerian footballer impressed in the 2018/2019 Championship season, scoring 10 goals and providing 15 assists for his teammates.
His main position is right winger, but he is used as a left winger as well. Speaking of his international career, Said Benrahma made his debut for the Algeria national team on October 13, 2015 in a 1-0 win over Senegal.
Highlighted Team (Ludogorets):
Bulgarian football club PFC Ludogorets Razgrad, commonly referred to as Eagles, compete at the Ludogorets Arena with the capacity of 8,000. PFC Ludogorets Razgrad are owned by Kiril Domuschiev, who made it his personal goal to propel the club to domestic and international success and to hold up the Bulgarian flag high with nation’s biggest clubs Levski and CSKA going through turbulent times.
Having seen their stock rise astronomically since 2010, PFK Ludogorets Razgrad have become the first Bulgarian club to be features in the UEFA Champions League group stage twice. Previously, their maiden participation happened in 2014-15 season when the Bulgarian club made headlines due to notable results against FC Basel and Liverpool.
Their success on domestic scene has been equally impressive as PFC Ludogorets Razgrad remain the second team in the world to win a treble after being promoted from the second to the first league. Main force of the Bulgarian club are the Brazilian players, currently eight of them in the squad many of whom hold the Bulgarian citizenship.
Bournemouth
Liverpool
Wolves 
Aston Villa 
Espanyol
Real Madrid 
Barcelona
Alaves
Brentford
Tottenham
Manchester United 
Crystal Palace 
