Manchester City v Lyon Betting Tips & Predictons - bettingexpert
Manchester City v Lyon Prediction
Manchester City prepare for a Champions League quarter-final for the fifth successive season knowing full well that they’ve been knocked out at this stage in three-quarters of them. Pep Guardiola will want to go all the way for the first time since 2011 but he’s coming up against familiar opposition. City met Lyon back in the 2018/19 and the French side proved to be tough competition.
Manchester City v Lyon Recent Form
Manchester City had a tricky end to their season with some inconsistent results. They lost four of their last 14 matches which is a woeful run of form by their lofty standards. In Europe, their defeat to Tottenham in the quarter-finals last year was their only one since the last time they played Lyon. The Ligue 1 side secured an impressive aggregate win over Juventus in their most recent match but lost on the night. Including friendlies, they’ve lost five of their last eight matches.
Manchester City v Lyon Recent Matchups
As previously mentioned, this isn’t the first time these two sides have met in the UEFA Champions League. Manchester City and Lyon were drawn together in Group F last season. The teams drew 2-2 in Lyon but it was the French side who won in the return fixture at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola had to watch on from the stands that day but he won’t be doing so this time around.
Manchester City v Lyon Stats & Analysis
Neither team has a particularly good record in matches against teams from their opponent’s country. Manchester City have played seven matches against French opposition – including the two they played against Lyon in 2018 – and won just two of them. Things are a little more even for Lyon in their games against English teams. They’ve won six, lost six, and drawn the rest of their 20 matches against English sides in UEFA competitions.
Alongside Bayern Munich, Manchester City are the only other side not to have lost a Champions League match this season. They’ve become a very difficult side to beat in the Champions League, especially when the match is being played outside of England. They’ve lost five matches since the start of 2018 and every one of them has been played in England – whether they were at home or away at fellow Premier League sides.
The Ligue 1 side will be a little disappointed that they won’t get to play at home. Their Champions League record away from Parc Olympique Lyonnais makes for pretty grim reading and will surely give Manchester City some hope. The French side’s victory at the Etihad in 2018 was one of just seven they’ve had in over a decade. That’s seven wins from 29 matches, far from comparable with the records of some of the other sides still left in the competition.
Manchester City v Lyon Bets
Clearly, the bookmakers think it will make a difference here. Manchester City are the big favourites to secure the win and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time under Pep Guardiola at 3/10. A Lyon win is 23/2 and a draw is 11/2.
Considering how low the odds are for City to secure the win, many punters will be tempted to back anything other than a win for Pep Guardiola’s men. A Lyon draw or win double chance may therefore be a tempting proposition at 16/5. However, recent history suggests that it will be better to just back a Lyon win if you don’t think City will reach the semis. Pep Guardiola’s men are a team of absolutes right now and have drawn just one of their last 35 matches.
It may also be wise to overlook City winning this match comfortably. Six of their last seven Champions League knockout matches have been settled by a single goal. They’ve also struggled to keep clean sheets in Europe with just three in their last 14 matches. Both teams to score is 21/20 which seems fairly generous.
In terms of goalscorers, there are some standout names. Raheem Sterling has enjoyed the best individual season of his career and is on an excellent run of form with 10 goals in his last 10 matches including one in the previous round against Madrid. He’s 21/20 to get one at any time while the ever-threatening Kevin De Bruyne is out at 15/8. At the other end, Maxwell Cornet scored three of the four goals Lyon bagged in the two matches against City in 2018. He’s 17/2 to get another one at any time here.
