Thursday 31/07/2014, 19:00, Europa League Qualifiers, Mlada Boleslav vs Lyon

Mlada Boleslav vs Lyon Preview

Lyon has the advantage of playing in a highly competitive championship, which means that they don't have to go through too many Europa League Qualifiers to reach the group stage. They have one big obstacle to overcome and this is Mlada Boleslav, a team that has played in this competition not so long ago. Their domestic championship has just begun but they had plenty of games to prepare themselves for this difficult encounter against the former French champions.

Mlada Boleslav vs Lyon Odds

At Bet-at-home

Mlada Boleslav 3.60, Draw 3.25, Lyon 2.00

Mlada Boleslav vs Lyon Tips

Mlada Boleslav started the Czech championship on the right foot, by winning the opening match on the road while keeping a clean sheet. Manager Jarolim used a rather defensive starting formation, in an attempt of limiting the damage done to their offensive players. He needs all the firepower to stand a chance against Lyon, a team that has prolific strikers and a great appetite for scoring on the road.

Their only goal was scored by a midfielder while Duris and Skala were held scoreless, just a few days after finding their way to the net in another Europa League Qualifier. Their previous opponents were pushovers and they didn't even try winning, being more concerned about not conceding goals.

Things will be much different today when Mlada Boleslav will be on the defensive, despite the fact that they have home pitch advantage. The same two strikers will pair up front, but the real problem is to bolster their own defenses, which will come under heavy fire.

Lyon got itself busy with friendly games, since the French championship is on recess and the results were mildly disappointing. Even so, they won two important games against Copenhagen and Donetsk, before drawing in front of their fans against the reigning Europa League champions.

Key Facts

• The visitors will use two strikers, but the midfielders are equally dangerous, with Gourcoff being the player to watch for tonight.
• The two teams have never played against each other before, but the French side is by far the more experienced one in European competitions.

Mlada Boleslav vs Lyon Prediction

Bookmakers are overestimating the importance of having home pitch advantage, which explains why Lyon is given even odds for a victory on the road. The French side was disappointing last season but they greatly improved their performance in the last couple of rounds and are hungry for victories in Europa League. As long as the odds don't sink below 2.00 it is worth taking a leap of faith with the visiting team and back them at full stakes with Bet-at-home.

Bet: Lyon @ 2.00 with Bet-at-home