4.3.2018.

PICK OF THE DAY

Montpelliere - Lyon

Tip : GG (both to score)

Odd : 1.80

FT : 1:1 WIN!!!

Montpellier and Lyon sit just one place apart in the Ligue 1 table, but with eleven points between the pair, Sunday’s hosts have a lot of work to do if they are to catch their guests before the season comes to a close. Montpellier will be happier with their campaign than Lyon, as Sunday’s hosts look set to finish in the European places after ending the last season in fifteenth. Lyon remain in fourth place, where they ended the last campaign, but would have been hoping to challenge Monaco and PSG for the Ligue 1 title this time around and might have done had they not lost their star striker in the summer.

These two clubs met in November to contest their first league meeting of the campaign in which a largely entertaining and even ninety minutes ended goalless. The pair were then drawn against one another in December for a Coupe de la Ligue tie, which saw the hosts Montpellier progress via an impressive 4-1 win. Maolida had put Lyon in front after just ten minutes, but two goals from Camara and one from Sambia saw Montpellier head in at the break 3-1 up. Bérigaud made sure of the result for the hosts with an eighty-sixth minute penalty to round-off a great day for the home side. Montpellier once again had the home advantage when the pair went up against one another in the Coupe de France, but this time Lyon had their revenge. All of the games goals were scored within the first half an hour, with Cornet putting the visitors in front in the thirteenth minute. Ikoné levelled for the hosts just nine minutes later, but Lyon were awarded a penalty in the twenty-seventh minute which Fekir coolly dispatched, to make the final score 2-1.

There is nothing to separate the sides in the form guide, with both sides picking up two wins, two draws, and two defeats in their last six matches. Montpellier have the slight edge of a three game unbeaten streak heading into Sunday’s game, whereas Lyon rested some key players in midweek and ended up being knocked out of the Coupe de France by Caen. One thing that the visitors have in their favour is goals, and after they rested Fekir and Diaz in midweek the duo, who have scored thirty-one league goals between them this season, will be fresh and ready to play the full ninety minutes on Sunday.

Sio top scores for the hosts with seven league goals so far this season, while teammate Mbenza is next in line with five, and it’s a little surprising to see a side performing well in the league without really having a natural goalscorer in their squad. As mentioned Fekir and Diaz have been in fantastic form for Lyon this season, the Frenchman has sixteen Ligue 1 goals while the Dominican Republic striker has fifteen, and Depay has chipped in with nine from wide positions.

We’re confident that both teams will score in this game as Montpellier have been strong at home, but are unlikely to be able to stop this Lyon attack. Fekir is always a man for the big occasion and we believe he can lead Lyon to a 3-2 victory on Sunday.