Lyon vs Saint-Etienne prediction, preview, team news and more | Ligue 1 2020-21
The Derby Rhonealpin kicks off on Sunday night as bitter rivals Lyon and Saint-Etienne face each other in round 10 of the 2020-21 Ligue 1 season at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Separated by four points in the table, Lyon are sixth while ASSE are 13th, with both sides producing an indifferent start to the season.
Lyon's tendency to blow hot and cold came to the fore yet again this past week. After hammering Monaco 4-1 last week, they drew 1-1 away to Lille.
Jonathan Bamba opened the scoring for LOSC, after which Houssem Aouar forced Zeki Celik to divert the ball into his own net a few minutes before half time, levelling the scores.
Marcelo was sent off five minutes into the second half, and an incredible performance from Anthony Lopes in the Lyon goal earned his side a point.
Saint-Etienne's disastrous run of form continued after their 2-0 loss away to Metz, as Les Verts turned in a poor performance against Montpellier to lose 0-1 at home.
Stephy Mavididi scored the only goal of the game, with Saint-Etienne unable to offer anything going forward.
Lyon vs Saint-Etienne Head-to-Head
Of the last 10 derbies, Lyon have won six, while Saint-Etienne have won three, with the solitary draw coming in the 2017-18 season.
Both sides won at home last season, with ASSE defeating Lyon 1-0 in October while Les Gones had their revenge with a 2-0 win in March this year.
Lyon form guide:ย D-D-W-W-D
Saint-Etienne form guide:ย L-L-L-L-L
Lyon vs Saint-Etienne Team News
Lyon
Despite having an almost fully-fit squad, Rudi Garcia has quite a headache ahead of the derby. Marcelo is unavailable following his red card against Lille, while fellow centre-back Jason Denayer is a doubt ahead of the game. Algerian defender Djamel Eddine Benlamri is expected to partner Sinaly Diomande in defence.
The rest of the lineup should remain the same, as Rudi Garcia is not one for wholesale changes.
Injuries:ย None
Doubtful:ย Jason Denayer
Suspensions:ย Marcelo
Saint-Etienne
Claude Puel has no new injury concerns, but Yvann Macon and Charles Abi still occupy the injury room while Mathieu Debuchy and Arnaud Nordin are working their way back to fitness.
Given their poor run of form, Saint-Etienne are likely to make plenty of changes to their starting lineup, with on-loan PSG youngster Adi Aouchiche likely to start.
Defender Harold Moukoudi is expected to replace Saidou Sow, who's been quite poor of late.
Injuries:ย Yvann Macon, Charles Abi
Doubtful:ย Mathieu Debuchy, Arnaud Nordin
Suspensions:ย None
Lyon vs Saint-Etienneย Predicted Lineups
Lyon Predicted XI (4-3-3):ย Anthony Lopes (GK), Leo Dubois, Djamel Eddine Benlamri, Sinaly Diomande, Maxwel Cornet; Lucas Paqueta, Thiago Mendes, Houssem Aouar; Tino Kadewere, Memphis Depay, Karl Toko Ekambi
Saint-Etienne predicted XI (4-2-3-1):ย Jessy Moulin (GK); Aimen Moueffek, Harold Moukoudi, Timothee Kolodziejczak, Gabriel Silva; Yvan Neyou, Mahdi Camara; Kevin Monnet-Pacquet, Adil Aouchiche, Denis Bouanga, Romain Hamouma
Lyon vs Saint-Etienne Prediction
Form often goes out of the window for derbies, but when the form is as catastrophic as Saint-Etienne's is at the moment, it is very much in play. It is hard to see how Claude Puel can fix things, as ASSE look bereft of ideas going forward and pitiful in defence.
Memphis Depay and Houssem Aouar are sure to put the home side to the sword, resulting in a comfortable win for Lyon.
Prediction: Lyon 3-0 Saint-Etienne