Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Ligue 1 clash between Lyon and Saint-Etienne, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Lyon and Saint-Etienne meet for the 124th edition of the Derby du Rhone-Alpes in Ligue 1 on Sunday night, in the league’s final outing before the international break.
Given the fierce rivalry between the two, there will be no away fans in attendance, as the game has been designated ‘very high risk’ by the authorities.
Match preview
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During a week that has seen Lyon threatened with demotion to Ligue 2 due to financial issues, fortunes on the pitch have not improved much either.
Inconsistency continues for Pierre Sage‘s men, as they are dropping back down the Ligue 1 table again after a phenomenal run of form has gone sour.
Sage was in danger of losing his job after taking just four points from their opening five league games, but from late September to mid-October, Lyon won five games in a row across all competitions.
Fourteen goals were scored in that time, and two of the wins came in Europe, but it was when Besiktas came to the Groupama Stadium that everything began to unravel again.
Just days after a 4-0 win at Le Havre, Besiktas snatched a rare win on the road in Europe at Lyon, and Sage’s side have failed to win since.
Three straight draws have followed on from that defeat, squandering the lead twice at home to Auxerre, before Malick Fofana‘s late strike salvaged a point at Lille.
That point keeps them in the top six for now, but virtually nothing separates the entire division outside of the top three and above the relegation zone.
It appeared as though late drama would go in their favour once again on Thursday too, as Alexandre Lacazette put Lyon 2-1 up at Hoffenheim three minutes into stoppage time.
However, the hosts hit back instantly, with Umut Tohumcu‘s 96th-minute strike levelling the game once more, as Lyon’s winless run was extended, and kept them outside the Europa League’s top eight.
This fixture would be the perfect setting for OL to get back on track though, in the first derby in front of a proper crowd at this stadium since March 2020.
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Lyon were dominant in the fixture before Saint-Etienne’s relegation in 2022, and on Les Verts’ return to the top flight, Les Gones will look to extend their recent record of four wins and a draw from the previous five derbies.
Saint-Etienne have not won on their last eight trips to Lyon, and away form so far this season offers very little optimism that they can rectify that here.
Olivier Dall’Oglio‘s team are the only side yet to lead at any point on the road so far this season, and with one point and 19 goals conceded in just five games, some serious soul-searching is required.
The visitors enter the weekend in the relegation zone, but they do come into it on the back of a win, after defeating Strasbourg 2-0 on home soil last weekend.
That means they are level on points with Angers and Nantes, but are still suffering from the after-effects of their 8-0 drubbing at Nice, which has decimated their goal difference – leaving it at minus-14.
Lyon Ligue 1 form:
Lyon form (all competitions):
Saint-Etienne Ligue 1 form:
Team News
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Lyon are set to have a full complement of players available here as Ernest Nuamah and Nemanja Matic are expected to return to the squad following brief absences.
Sage welcomed Gift Orban back to the squad in midweek after further disciplinary issues, and he started against Hoffenheim, but with Said Benrahma and Fofana ahead of him in the pecking order, the Nigerian is expected to drop to the bench.
Remy Descamps performed well in goal against Hoffenheim in midweek, and has certainly given the manager a decision to make about whether to keep Lucas Perri between the sticks in the league.
Saint-Etienne will be without midfielder Mathieu Cafaro after he hit the limit for yellow cards, while winger Ben Old remains on the sidelines and could miss New Zealand duty next week.
Pierre Cornud is a doubt as he closes in on a recovery from injury, but this game will come too soon for Ibrahima Wadji, Thomas Monconduit and Anthony Briancon.
Lyon possible starting lineup:
Lucas Perri; Maitland-Niles, Clinton Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico; Veretout, Tolisso; Benrahma, Cherki, Fofana; Lacazette
Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Larsonneur; Macon, Batubinsika, Nade, Petrot; Bouchouari, Ekwah, Mouton; Boakye, Sissoko, Davitashvili
We say: Lyon 2-0 Saint-Etienne
Lyon are unbeaten in five Ligue 1 games, and in their last 21 against newly-promoted sides, but they will be seeking three points here, as opposed to merely extending that run.
Form may often go out the window on derby day, but this will be a difficult place for Saint-Etienne to turn their awful away record around at.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.