Ligue 1: Troyes Vs Lyon – Match preview

Lyon now dropped a mammoth 16 league points having scored the first goal, a big factor in why replicating another top-four finish this campaign seems extremely unlikely.

Troyes

Depleted due to injuries and African Cup of Nations omissions, vulnerable Troyes are just one point above the relegation zone coming into this round and will be looking over their shoulder nervously. Back-to-back Ligue 1 wins in October have since been followed up by a solitary win and clean sheet in their last eight league matches showing that a root cause for their vulnerabilities is their underperforming defence. The Stade de l’Aube has been a kinder environment to ‘ESTAC’ than road trips this season after securing ten of their 17 points at home. However, that trend might not be enough here given that Troyes have bested opponents Lyon only once across their previous seven home H2H league matches.

Lyon

Lyon still find themselves in the bottom half of the table after a forgettable campaign so far. Settling for draws in each of their last four Ligue 1 matches despite scoring first in three perhaps best summarises the erratic nature of their performances this season. They’ve now dropped a mammoth 16 league points having scored the first goal, a big factor in why replicating another top-four finish this campaign seems extremely unlikely. On their travels, ‘Les Gones’ have particularly lost their way. Their initial run of four wins in five away top-flight matches has since been followed by just one win across their last seven. Paying Troyes a visit may aid them in getting back on track though, given that they’ve only suffered one defeat in the last 16 H2H matches across all competitions.

Troyes top-scorer Xavier Chavalerin has scored eight of his last ten league goals in the first half, while Lyon’s top-scorer Lucas Paqueta has scored four of his last six club goals away from home. No Ligue 1 team has conceded more goals after the 75th minute than Lyon (13).