Friday 12/09/2014, 20:30, France Ligue 1, Round 5, Lyon vs Monaco
Lyon vs Monaco Preview
Falcao departed from Monaco and now that the French side has lost its best striker, it will have a hard time winning the championship. PSG is in prime position to retain the title, but with so many rounds left to be played, the runners-up won't give up without a fight. They can return to their winning ways tonight when they travel to Lyon to play against a battered team that is mired in a losing streak.
Lyon vs Monaco Odds
Lyon 2.50, Draw 3.10, Monaco 3.10
Lyon vs Monaco Tips
Lyon is a mess and the fact that they lost four of the last five games and only prevailed away from home at the end of a highly contested game says a great deal about their problems. Eliminated from Europa League and sitting at the bottom of the standings, the former champions are going to play overly cautious tonight, even though the visitors miss their best striker.
The hosts are going to play without seven key players, with most of their offensive being crippled and the midfield is in a terrible position as well. The inability to score goals is now chronic and without these players, it will be virtually impossible for Lyon to exercise constant pressure on the visiting team.
Defending a scoreless draw is not an option against Monaco, so the hosts will need to send Lacazette and N'jie upfront and hope for the best. The latter has been a big disappointment so far, missing plenty of excellent scoring opportunities and most of these chances were the result of other players contributing.
Losing to newly promoted Metz was disappointing on many levels and the fact that the hosts scored both goals in the last 8 min. of the game only adds to the frustration. Monaco has no injured players and even without Falcao they would play for victory, with Germain, Berbatov and Ferreira all featuring upfront.
Key Facts
- Monaco is a lesser team without Falcao, but still has a potent offensive that can crush Lyon
- Lyon only won three times in Monaco and lost both games last season, with their opponents scoring a combined five goals
Lyon vs Monaco Prediction
Having home pitch advantage is not enough for Lyon to win and there is no way to justify the low odds offered by bookmakers. A far better choice is to bet on Monaco to win while taking the cover of a 0:0 Asian handicap, which returns the stakes if the game ends undecided. Pinnacle Sports offers odds above even value for this outcome, but they are very likely to drop by Friday, so make sure you place your wagers soon.
Bet: Monaco Draw no Bet @ 2.10 with Pinnacle Sports
