Champions League Group H – Lyon and Sevilla battle it out for qualification

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07/12/16

Champions League Group H – Lyon and Sevilla battle it out for qualification

Wednesday night sees some big matches in the Champions League, with Real Madrid hosting Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen taking on Monaco. However, perhaps the most intriguing fixture takes place in France, where Lyon welcome Sevilla to Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Juventus sit top of Group H with 11 points and as they are playing Dinamo Zagreb at home, there can be little doubt they are going to go on and win the group. Dinamo Zagreb have failed to pick up a single point during their Champions League campaign this season. Not only that, they have failed to score a single goal in five games and it’s unlikely this is going to change in Turin. Trends show its three matches since Juventus last recorded a win in the Champions League at home and the players will be determined to put on a show for the fans and get back to winning ways in the Juventus Stadium, before the knockout stages. Expect a good home win from this game, with Juventus netting a few goals and keeping a clean sheet.

The other game in Group H is very exciting and not as easy to call. Sevilla travel to Lyon knowing if they can pick up a point, it will be enough to see them through, in what is probably going to be second place. Even if the Spaniard’s lose to Lyon by one goal, they will still progress to the Round of 16, regardless of what happens elsewhere.

It’s a strange situation to be in because sitting back and trying to see out for a point could allow Lyon to get a grip on the match and if the hosts get a goal, they will be pushing everything forward in the hope of scoring a second and Sevilla will find themselves under huge pressure. Lyon endured a terrible run of Champions League results before leaving the Stade de Gerland and have won one and lost one since playing at their new home, the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Preparation for this game has not been great, with goalkeeper Anthony Lopes a doubt, after a firecracker went off near his head in Lyon’s abandoned match with Metz at the weekend. Lyon will wait until the last minute before deciding whether he can play.

The main concern for Sevilla will be their away form in the Champions League. They have won only one of their last eight away matches in the competition but having said that, only two of the results in those eight games were by two goals or more, which is what they must lose by to be eliminated from the Champions League. Sevilla do need to improve defensively on the road, as they have kept just one clean sheet in their last seven away matches in all competitions.

This is all set to be a very exciting night of football in Lyon. From a neutral point of view, it would be great to see Lyon grab an early goal and have much of the game to attempt to score a second, while Sevilla try and catch them on the break. The longer the match stays 0-0, the more men Lyon must push forward and the greater the threat Sevilla will carry on the counter-attack. This is going to be a great game to watch.