Our prediction for this Ligue 1 match:
Lyon
Match Time & Date:
19/08/2023
17:00
Prediction: 2-2
Montpellier
Following a 2-1 loss to Strasbourg on Matchday 1, Olympique Lyon will be aiming to record their first win of the season when they face Montpellier on Saturday afternoon. Les Gones are no longer considered the team to beat in Ligue 1 and it has to be noted that they are on a five-game losing run ahead of the visit of Montpellier. Both Dejan Lovren and Anthony Lopes are sidelined with injuries, but there are no suspended players in the home team.
La Paillade, on the other hand, played out a 2-2 draw with newcomers Le Havre in their season opener, but they will have a big fish to fry in Lyon. In thierlast meeting at the venue les Gones recorded a thrilling 5-4 win over La Paillade and yet another high-scoring affair is on the horizon. As for the away side, defender Theo Sainte-Luce misses out with a thigh problem.
Highlighted Player (Alexandre Lacazette):
Alexandre Lacazette is a hometown boy of Lyon, a powerful striker who went through the youth ranks of the French side to become one of the most important players for Les Gones. The 25-year-old forward was also a member of all France national team selections becoming a European champion at the age of 19 by scoring the winner in the final against Spain.
This goal gave him a reputation of a big game player, one he went on to uphold on various occasions at his club. Lacazette is a hard working forward an accomplished finisher of the ball able to score from different positions. The most prolific striker in his side and among the top ones in the Ligue 1, Alexandre Lacazette scored more than 20 league goals last two seasons on a trot.
Constantly linked with a move away from Lyon, Alexandre Lacazette refuses to speak about anything other than his football and is leaving all the talk to the football pitch.
Highlighted Team (Montpellier):
Over the years Montpellier have established themselves as a mid-table side in French Ligue 1. Montpellier are considered one of the youngest clubs in France as they were founded in 1974, but it has to be noted that a number of high-profile footballers played for the club in the past. French football legend Laurent Blanc played for Montpellier from 1981-1993 and he scored 76 goals in 24 appearances in the league for the club. Eric Cantona, Roger Milla, Carlos Valderama and Olivier Giroud played in Montpellier’s colors as well, but Pascal Baills is the player with most appearances for the club (429).
La Paillade did remarkably well to win the Ligue 1 trophy in 2012 and that is considered the club’s biggest success. Montpellier won Coupe de France on two occasions (1929, 1990), with the team beating FC Sete and FC Paris respectively in the title games. The team welcome their rivals at Stade de la Mosson and the capacity of the stadium is 32.900. In 1999 Montpellier won the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
