Lyon Begin Title Challenge Against Amiens
The 2018/19 French Ligue 1 season kicks-off this weekend with Marseille vs Toulouse but the biggest matches take place on Sunday. In addition to seeing Paris Saint-Germain in action, we have the match between Lyon and Amiens to enjoy.
Lyon finished third in Ligue 1 last season and will be hoping to mount a serious challenge for the title. They cannot afford to make any mistakes in the matches they are expected to win and this game falls into that category.
Amiens did well to finish 13th in Ligue 1 last season and their first goal will be to avoid the drop this season. A point or better at Lyon would be the perfect start.
Having finished third in the league last season, Lyon automatically qualified for the Champions League group stages and have played several friendly games in preseason. There have been mixed results, with wins over Fulham, Wolfsburg and Benfica but defeats in the International Champions Cup against Inter Milan and on penalties to Chelsea. Both were close games.
Lyon were on a good run towards the end of last season and trends show they won nine of their last ten Ligue 1 matches. Home form was excellent and they won each of their final six home league games and will be aiming to continue that run with an opening day win in this match.
The fact Lyon have kept hold of their top performers from last season, including Nabil Fekir, is a good sign ahead of this game.
Amiens endured a tough preseason which saw them win only one of their four friendly matches. They defeated Tubize 3-2 at home but were held to a draw by Saint-Etienne and lost to both Paris and Cardiff City.
Amiens enjoyed a strong finish to last season, losing only two of their final ten Ligue 1 games. They picked up four wins, although only one of those victories came away from home. In fact, trends show Amiens have won only two of their last eleven away league matches and they suffered a 3-0 defeat at Lyon towards the end of last season.
Looking ahead to the team news and Lyon are without Anthony Lopes who is serving the final game of a suspension carried over from last season. Mathieu Gorgelin is expected to play in goal for the home team. Nabil Fekir is unlikely to feature having been granted extra time off following the World Cup.
Amiens have no injury or suspension concerns ahead of this game. They are expected to start the season in a 4-3-3 formation with Juan Ferney Otero making his competitive debut on the right side of the attack.
Neutral fans are hoping Lyon will be the team to really push Pairs Saint-Germain this season. If they are going to mount a title challenge, they cannot afford to drop points in games like this, especially so early in the season. Lyon should come out on top here, scoring 2 or more goals in the process.
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