Thursday 28/08/2014, 19:00, Europa League Qualifiers, Astra vs Lyon

Astra vs Lyon Ave Preview

Astra accomplished great things over the last two years, winning the Romanian cup and being the runner-up for the domestic championship. They have the chance to play for the first time in their history in Europa League and they already took a giant step forward in the first leg. Astra won the first leg despite the fact that it was the French side that dominated the game and now all they need to do is to wrap things up, by not losing at home against Lyon.

Astra vs Lyon Ave Odds

At Ladbrokes

Astra 2.75, Draw 3.50, Lyon 3.50

Astra vs Lyon Ave Tips

One week ago, Astra used a surprisingly offensive starting formation, with two strikers and four midfielders, but were not particularly effective at maintaining constant pressure. The hosts took an early lead and then created numerous scoring opportunities, but 10 minutes were enough for the Romanians to turn the tables in their favor.

Over the weekend, they claimed another victory on the road using exactly the same team, so it is only fair to assume that manager Isaila won't make any changes. Seto and Fatai are likely to play upfront and the latter managed to score in the first leg, so you will probably kept on the pitch for the entire 90 min.

The visitors are under tremendous pressure after losing three consecutive games and the fact that they failed to score in the last match only makes matters worse. Despite the string of disappointing results, Lyon was the dominant team in all these three fixtures and had a ball possession of 60% or more.

Seven players were listed as injured over the weekend and Ferri served a one-game suspension, which explains why the hosts were unable to win against Lens. Four of them are expected to return to fitness and the most important thing is that the offensive is virtually intact, so manager Fournier should be able to field a very competitive first 11.

Key Facts

• Lyon has tremendous experience in European competitions, while Astra could reach the group stage for the first time.
• Gourcouff won't play tonight for the French side, which means that the midfield will be the weakest section for the visitors.

Astra vs Lyon Ave Prediction

Bookmakers are overly generous when they offer odds of 2.55 for Lyon to prevail on the road. The reason for why punters should take the safety net of a 0:0 Asian handicap is that several players are doubtful ahead of this fixture. Perhaps the best choice is to wager on Lyon Draw no Bet at odds of 1.85 with Ladbrokes.

Bet: Lyon Draw no Bet @ 1.85 with Ladbrokes