Lyon are set to take advantage of Saint-Etienne's poor start to the season when both teams clash in a French Ligue 1 fixture at the Stade Geoffrey-Guichard. The hosts are winless this season and face an uphill task against Lyon side that is slowly hitting their stride.
Saint-Etienne suffered a 3-0 defeat at home to Nice in their previous Ligue 1 fixture. They once again suffered from a lack of cutting edge in attack and failed to score despite creating some decent chances.
Claude Puel's men are one of two teams without a win in Ligue 1 this season and are currently rooted to the foot of the table. They have lost their last five matches, conceding no less than two goals in each fixture.
Aside from their defensive vulnerability, Saint-Etienne have also struggled in attack this season. They have failed to score more than one goal in each of their last six matches while top scorer Wahbi Khazri is currently on a two-match goal drought.
Lyon are attempting to navigate a serious injury crisis with a number of key players currently sidelined. They appear to be coping well with their problems having suffered just one defeat in their last eight matches across all competitions.
Peter Bosz’s men were held to a 1-1 draw by Lorient last time out in Ligue 1 with Karl Toko Ekambi grabbing a second half equaliser. They bounced back in fine style in the Europa League with a 3-0 victory over Danish side Brondby.
Lyon are just three points behind second place Lens and have won five of their last seven matches across all competitions. However, they continue to look vulnerable at the back with no clean sheets in their last four matches.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have installed Lyon as overwhelming favourites at 13/16 with SBK while Unibet is offering 17/5 for a Saint-Etienne victory. A draw is valued at odds of 3/1 by bet365.
Head to head
Lyon have a 25-6 advantage with 12 draws from 43 previous matches against Saint-Etienne. They have also won the last three meetings and claimed a 5-0 victory on their last visit to the Stade Geoffrey-Guichard.
Players to watch
Wahbi Khazri has failed to score in his last two matches but remains the top scorer for Saint-Etienne with three goals. The forward is priced at 5/2 by Betfred to score anytime.
Given the injuries in Lyon’s attacking third, Karl Toko Ekambi has stepped up in recent weeks. The Cameroon striker has scored three goals in his last two appearances and is valued at 9/5 by Paddy Power to find the net.
Anything else catch the eye?
Lyon often score plenty of goals and having claimed a 5-0 victory on their last visit to Saint-Etienne, a -1 handicap can be considered at 17/8 with Vbet. They could be tipped to score in both halves at 7/5 with BoyleSport while over 3.5 could also be on the cards at 19/13 with SBK.
Lyon are expected to claim a comfortable victory and could be backed to win both halves at 9/2 with Sport Nation.
This French Ligue 1 match between Saint-Etienne and Lyon will be played on Oct 3, 2021 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Saint-Etienne vs Lyon prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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