Angers and Lyon will both be looking to make it back-to-back wins in Ligue 1 when the two sides lock horns at the Stade Raymond Kopa on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts trounced Nimes 5-1 before the international break, while Lyon picked up a victory of their own as they scraped past Saint-Etienne 2-1 in gameweek 10.
Match preview
© Reuters
Facing off against a Nimes side who continue to ship goals was the perfect remedy for an Angers outfit looking to put a crushing 3-0 home defeat to Nice behind them, and Stephane Moulin's men needed no second invitation to stamp their authority on Nimes's turf earlier this month.
Mathias Pereira Lage opened his account for the season after just 40 seconds of the tie, with Stephane Bahoken going on to net a brace before substitutes Lois Diony and Jimmy Cabot completed the Angers rout, much to the delight of Moulin.
Despite already conceding 20 goals this season - the second highest in the league behind Brest - Angers have chalked up 15 at the correct end of the pitch to occupy a spot in the top half after 10 matches, with Moulin's side also beating Rennes and drawing with Metz in recent weeks.
Angers took to the pitch for a friendly encounter with Ligue 2 side Niort during the international break, and Moulin's men played out a six-goal thriller with their opponents as that tie ended level at 3-3.
It has certainly been a positive and solid start to proceedings for Les Scoistes, who could turn into outside contenders for a European berth should Moulin lead his side to more impressive results over the winter, but Angers are up against it this Sunday as Lyon look to further their own bid for a spot in international competition.
© Reuters
Like their gameweek 11 opponents, Lyon also came up against a side who just cannot stop losing at the minute, but Rudi Garcia's men had to rely on a substitute to overcome Saint-Etienne 2-1 in their most recent fixture.
An own goal from Anthony Lopes saw Saint-Etienne take a 1-0 lead into half time, but the introduction of Tino Kadewere turned the game on its head as the 24-year-old's brace propelled Lyon to victory.
It was not a classic by any means, but Garcia's men have now stretched their unbeaten run in the top flight to seven matches and find themselves in the top five at this moment in time, with Les Gones desperate to pave the way for a return to the Champions League.
With three wins from their last four, the Lyon faithful have every right to be feeling more optimistic about their side's fortunes heading into the busy festive period, and the absence of international competition should benefit Garcia and co as they bid to keep the pressure on the four fatigued sides above them.
Lyon hit Angers for six in the only meeting between the two clubs last season, with Moussa Dembele and Memphis Depay both bagging braces as Houssem Aouar and Jean Lucas also got in on the act.
Angers Ligue 1 form: WLDWLW
Lyon Ligue 1 form: DDWWDW
Team News
© Reuters
Thomas Mangani received his third booking of the season in the win over Nimes and is suspended for the visit of Lyon, which could therefore see Antonin Bobichon return to the fold.
Former Southampton man Sofiane Boufal is struggling with a knee problem, but Lage's return has eased Moulin's concerns on the left-hand side of the attack.
Cabot's involvement is uncertain as well, but Bahoken will continue to lead the line despite recent legal problems.
As for Lyon, Aouar was forced to pull out of international duty with a groin injury and it remains to be seen whether the midfielder will recover in time for Sunday.
Lucas Paqueta could be handed a start in Garcia's team should Aouar indeed miss out, and the Gones manager will also be without Karl Toko Ekambi and Maxwell Cornet through suspension.
Kadewere's inclusion from the off is all but guaranteed with Toko Ekambi missing out, and Garcia will also welcome Marcelo back to the squad after the defender served a suspension of his own.
Angers possible starting lineup:
Bernardoni; Manceau, Traore, Thomas, Doumbia; Amadou, Bobichon; Thioub, Fulgini, Lage; Bahoken
Lyon possible starting lineup:
Lopes; Dubois, Denayer, Marcelo, Bard; Guimaraes, Caqueret, Paqueta; Kadewere, Dembele, Depay
We say: Angers 2-3 Lyon
Angers are more than capable of making this a challenging afternoon for Lyon, and their recent performances suggest that the hosts will do just that. Fans and neutrals alike should strap in for a thrilling game packed with plenty of goals, but even with a few absentees, we still think Lyon will keep their unbeaten run going with a win here, albeit not a straightforward one.
Top betting tip
Ben Knapton
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Lyon win with a probability of 47.3%. A win for Angers had a probability of 27.59% and a draw had a probability of 25.1%.
The most likely scoreline for a Lyon win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.5%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.35%) and 0-2 (8.23%). The likeliest Angers win was 1-0 (7.61%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.92%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 10.5% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for Lyon in this match.
