Lyon vs RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig will be under relatively little pressure in their final Champions League group game. The German side has already ensured qualification to the round of 16 and only need to avoid defeat to secure top spot in Group G.
Their opponents, Lyon, still have everything to play for, though. The French outfit can still make it to the knockout phase if they can get a better result against the Red Bulls than Zenit against Benfica.
The Champions League 2019 betting odds have Lyon priced as slight favourites to win at home, but beating an in-form RB Leipzig side will still be easier said than done.
Talking Points
Lyon still looking wobbly
Lyon just can’t seem to string some decent results together. They’ve alternated wins and losses in their last seven matches in all competitions.
They picked up one of their biggest wins of the season over the weekend as they thumped Nimes, 4-0. But even then, they needed the bottom club in Ligue 1 to go down to nine men before they finally put the game away.
On the bright side, though, Memphis Depay has continued his outstanding form this season. The Dutch forward bagged a brace and an assist against Nimes and has now scored eight goals in his last eight appearances for his club.
Depay has also been producing a host of Champions League 2019 highlights. He’s scored four goals in five matches in this year’s competition. One of those goals was the opener in Lyon’s shock 2-0 win over Leipzig in Germany.
Lyon will be without defenders Leo Dubois and Youssouf Kone, while Rafael is a doubt. Meanwhile, speedster Maxwel Cornet is also a question mark.
Even without Cornet, Lyon still has a wealth of attacking weapons with Depay, Moussa Dembele, Bertrand Traore, and Houssem Aouar. But those absent defenders will most likely make Lyon a bit vulnerable at the back.
RB Leipzig’s impressive unbeaten run
RB Leipzig have been in imperious form of late. Since suffering that shock home loss to Lyon, they’ve lost just one of their last 12 matches (eight wins, three draws). Moreover, they’ve gone unbeaten in their last eight matches, winning seven of them.
Leipzig almost lost that unbeaten streak when they fell two goals behind at home to Benfica in their last Champions League outing. But they were able to salvage a dramatic draw thanks to a late Emil Forsberg brace.
They are coming off another impressive 3-1 win at home against Hoffenheim over the weekend, which has seen them stay in second, just one point behind surprise leaders Borussia Monchengladbach.
Timo Werner continued his remarkable goalscoring run by bagging another brace. The German has gone up to another level under manager Julian Nagelsmann. He already has 15 goals and five assists in 14 Bundesliga appearances and has added two goals and an assist in the Champions League.
Fellow forward Marcel Sabitzer has also been unleashed as a goal machine. The Austrian has already scored eight goals this season, surpassing last year’s tally of five for all of last year.
However, the downside has been that their defence under Nagelsmann has not been that secure. They’ve kept just three cleans sheet in the league and have one in five Champions League matches.
The absence of starting central defenders Ibrahima Konate and Willi Orban for their trip to Lyon won’t help matters. Forward Yussuf Poulsen is also a doubt to feature.
But with Werner and Sabitzer, Leipzig still have the ability to do significant damage against a Lyon defence which could be exposed as they go in search of the win.
History
This will be the two sides’ second meeting all-time after Lyon surprised Red Bull at Leipzig.
Lyon have not had a particularly great home record against German clubs in recent years, winning one of their last four meetings. However, they’ve won seven of 13 such matches overall, with two draws and four defeats.
As for Leipzig, they’ve had two trips to France in their history. They won 4-1 at Monaco but were smashed 5-2 against Marseille in their 2018 Europa League quarter-final second leg, which they lost 5-3 on aggregate.
Betting Tip
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Lyon vs RB Leipzig | Draw 1X2 @ 3.55 |
| December 11, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
The SBOBET odds for this match are quite tight. Lyon are slight favourites at 2.46 to pick up the home win, while Leipzig aren’t far behind at 2.62. A draw is priced at 3.55.
You could really see the match going either way, but I’m sticking my neck out and will go with a draw. And with both sides missing some key defenders, it could be quite an entertaining draw as well.
Lyon will most likely be on the offensive at home, and that should play right into Leipzig’s hands with Werner and Sabitzer capable of hitting them on lightning-quick counterattacks.
Despite the French side’s best efforts, Leipzig should still come away with the draw they need to top the group.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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