Nantes v Lyon: Ligue 1 betting preview and tip

Ligue 1
7.45pm Friday

Lyon failed to capitalise on St-Etienne slipping up to draw with Amiens last week but they can take a big step towards Champions League qualification by swatting aside Nantes.

Les Gones lost at home to relegation-threatened Dijon last time out but have the opportunity to close the gap on second-placed Lille, who play title-chasing PSG on Sunday.

Lyon's slump in league form follows defeat in the semi-finals of the French Cup and a harrowing 5-1 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League, throwing manager Bruno Genesio's future into doubt.

But Lyon still boast an array of exciting young forwards including Martin Terrier, Maxwel Cornet and Moussa Dembele, who ease the pressure on main man Nabil Fekir.

The visitors have won six of their nine meetings with bottom-six opposition and should be confident of edging a gritty encounter with the shot-shy hosts.

Nantes have fired blanks in five of their last eight matches in all competitions as Vahid Halilhodzic struggles to strike a winning formula with misfiring forwards Kalifa Coulibaly, Abdul Waris and Gabriel Boschilia.

They are seven points clear of the relegation but could still be drawn into the battle at the bottom with matches against PSG and Marseille on the horizon after this tie, which they look set to lose by a slender margin.

Ligue 1 standings

Bet on this match at Soccerbase.com

Recommendation
Lyon to win & under 4.5 goals
1pt 23-20 Coral, Ladbrokes

Follow us on Twitter

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport