Lyon v Real Sociedad predictions and betting tips

Match	Date	Selection	Bet	Odds	Bet now
Lyon v Real Sociedad predictions and betting tips Champions League Uefa, International	20/08/2013 20:45	full time result	Lyon	2.20	Bet at B
Betting prediction was written by tiketitan

Lyon v Real Sociedad predictions and betting tips

This is the first leg of the Champions League qualification match between Lyon and Real Sociedad. Lyon are hosting Real Sociedad in the first match, the return leg in Spain is played next week and the aggregate winner will proceed to the group stage of Champions League.

Lyon finished third last season in Ligue 1, and this season they are expected to fight in the top of the league together with Monaco, PSG, and Marseille. They are currently top of the league this season after two wins in two matches, beating Nice at home 4-0 and Sochaux 3-1 away. In the Champions League qualification Lyon beat Grasshopper in the previous round, winning 1-0 at home and away. Overall these are the last four matches Lyon has played, so they are in great form with four straight wins. Here Lyon will have to do without: Vercoutre (First choice goal keeper), Ghezzal (Midfielder) and Dabo (Fullback on either side).

Real Sociedad finished an impressive fourth in Spanish Primera Division last season, taking the CL qualification spot one point ahead of fifth place Valencia. They sold their important midfielder Illarramendi this summer so will be hard pressed to repeat last season’s result. This season they are expected to fight in the top 4-7, most likely well behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, but rivals to the likes of Atletico Madrid and Valencia. This season they have played one match, winning at home 2-0 against Getafe. Previous matches have been preseason friendlies with mixed and not really impressive results, they lost to Southampton (4-3 away) and Sporting CP (2-0 away), and won against Eibar (2-0 home) and Real Union (7-1 away), plus tied 1-1 away to Toulouse. Sociedad came into this season’s CL in this round, so they have not played any previous qualification matches. In fact the last CL match they played was in 2004, when they met Lyon and lost 1-0 away.

Mikel González (Defender), José Ángel (Defender) and Dani Estrada (Defender) did not play in the 2-0 win this weekend, and they will not be fit for this clash either.

Lyon v Real Sociedad predictions

The two teams have only met three times, two times in the mentioned Champions Leauge in 2004 where Lyon won both matches 1-0. The third time they met were a preseason friendly match last year,  the match ended 1-1 after Sociedad scoring first in 62nd minute and Lyon equalizing in 78th minute.

Lyon are a regular participant in the CL, their best result came in 2009-10 when they reached the semi-final. Last season they reached round of 32 and therefore missed out of the group stage, the two previous seasons they reached round of 16. They are unbeaten in the last seven European home fixtures, last loss was 2-0 against Real Madrid in the CL 2011-12 group stage. Lyon’s overall record at home against Spanish La Liga opposition is W5, D3, and L3.

One player to follow in this match is the 22 year old French winger Antoine Griezmann. His boyhood club is Lyon, but he was picked up by Real Sociedad at the age of 14. He was instrumental in getting Real Sociedad to this year’s CL, as it was the goal by him in the last round of the season that provided the club with the fourth place. Griezmann is well-regarded in France, a former U21 player that is by many expected to be a future French international star, and it will be an emotional return for him to Stade de Gerland .

Lyon v Real Sociedad betting tips for 1x2

This will be a tough match and one of the most interesting this midweek. Real Sociedad are weakened compared to last season due to the sale of Illarramendi, and even though a fourth place in the Spanish league is a very impressive result, they will have a hard time in France. Lyon are more experienced in playing European matches, and they are in very good form and solid at home. I therefore bet home win at 6/5 (2.20) with Bet365.

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