International Football News, National Soccer Teams, Previews International football in bite-size piecesRelated Articles
Kick off: Sunday, 17 January @20:00 GMT
Venue: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard (Saint-Etienne)
Live Stream: fuboTV (US), bet365 (non-US)
Head to head record
Lyon vs Saint Etienne 3-0 (2015/2016 Ligue 1)
Lyon vs Saint Etienne 2-2 (2014/2015 Ligue 1)
Saint Etienne vs Lyon 3-0 (2014/2015 Ligue 1)
Lyon vs Saint Etienne 1-2 (2013/2014 Ligue 1)
Saint Etienne vs Lyon 1-2 (2013/2014 Ligue 1)
Saint Etienne vs Lyon prediction
The two bitter rivals Saint Etienne and Lyon square off against each other in the Derby Rhone-Alpes on Sunday. The two sides are level on points in the Ligue 1 standings, meaning that a close encounter is on the cards.
Les Verts tough to beat at home
Saint Etienne experienced all sorts of problems in the Coupe de France game against Raon l’Etape, but they somehow eliminated the CFA 2 side in the French Cup. On the other hand, les Verts suffered a 2-1 loss to Nantes in their first league game of the new year and, as a result, they dropped to seventh place in the standings. The team have not been impressive in front of goal this season and that is the main reason why the club chiefs decided to sign Norwegian attacker Alexander Soderlund in the January transfer window. The 28-year-old forward was scoring goals for fun with Rosenborg in 2015 and the fans certainly have faith in the new signing. Saint Etienne take on their fiercest rivals Lyon on Sunday and it remains to be seen if they are capable of recording their seventh home win of the season. In their last game in front of home fans les Verts recorded a hard-fought 1-0 win over Angers.
The likes of Loic Perrin, Robert Beric, Benjamin Karamoko, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Francois Clerc all miss the derby with injury, while Oussama Tannane is sidelined through suspension. Jean-Christophe Bahebeck is a major doubt.
New stadium, same ambitions
Olympique Lyon celebrated the opening of their new Stade des Lumieres stadium in style with a 4-1 triumph over Troyes. Les Gones managed to put an end to their three-match losing run in the league, but they will have a much bigger fish to fry in Sunday’s encounter against Saint Etienne. New boss Bruno Genesio and his men are desperate to move closer to the Champions League berth, but beating les Verts in the local derby is easier said than done. The good news for the fans is that key attacker Alexandre Lacazette has overcome his injury and he is likely to prove a handful for the opposition back line. Bruno Genesio is likely to stick to the 4-3-3 formation as Lyon aim to record their first away win since October. It has to be noted that les Gones head into the Derby Rhone-Alpes following a 2-1 loss to PSG in Coupe de la Ligue.
Mathieu Valbuena should recover in time to face Saint Etienne, but Nabil Fekir, Rafael, Maxime Gonalons and Gueida Fofana remain in the treatment room. Henri Bedimo is rated doubtful for the local derby.
Quick Facts
- Saint Etienne suffered only one defeat in previous six home games in Ligue 1
- Les Verts are after their sixth clean sheet on home soil
- Olympique Lyon are on a four-match winless run on the road
- Les Gones outclassed Saint Etienne 3-0 in their last meeting in Lyon
- Eight yellow cards were shown when the two sides met in the reverse fixture
Saint Etienne vs Lyon betting tip
There will be fireworks when Saint Etienne and Lyon take on each other in the local derby on Sunday. Both sides are eager to book their place in the Champions League and I am positive that both teams will go for a win in the Derby Rhone-Alpes. In previous five meetings between the two teams in all competitions 16 goals in total were scored and I would not be surprised if we see a real football festival in Saint Etienne.
Tip: Both teams to score
Odds: 1.80 (4/5) @BetVictor
If you are looking for a reputable website to place your sports betting wagers at, why not check out our selection of top online bookmakers, featuring bonus info, reviews, important details and more.
Daily Specials
| Event | Promotion | Claim | Expiring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke v Arsenal | Arsenal to win is 6/1 (exclusive) | Claim | Sunday |
| L'pool v Man Utd | L'pool at 10/1 or Man Utd at 10/1 (exclusive) | Claim | Sunday |
| Winner | Get €30 No Deposit + €300 Match (exclusive) | Claim | Soon |
| La Liga | Sevilla, Celta & Villarreal is 31/10 | Claim | @15:00 |
| Premiership | Man City, Leicester & Southampton is 9/2 | Claim | @15:00 |
| Premiership | Man City, Chelsea & West Ham is 13/2 | Claim | @15:00 |
| Villa v Leicester | Leicester to win & BTTS is 4/1 | Claim | @17:30 |
| Villa v Leicester | Mahrez to score & Leicester to win is 7/2 | Claim | @17:30 |
| Villarreal v Betis | Soldado to score 2 or more is 5/1 | Claim | @19:30 |
| Napoli v Sassuolo | Higuain to score 2+ & Napoli to win is 3/1 | Claim | @19:45 |
