Ligue 1 | Gameweek 16

Jan 4, 2025 at 8pm UK

Parc Olympique Lyonnais

Lyon vs Montpellier

Match preview

Lyon may have lost to Paris Saint-Germain in their final league match of the 2024 campaign, but they finished the year in style to keep themselves in the top four.

That was their first away defeat since the opening day of the season, and they followed that up with a Coupe de France win at Feignies-Aulnoye to seal their place in the last 32.

Prior to the PSG defeat, however, Lyon made light work of Angers and Nice, scoring seven goals in the process to keep them in fifth place, just two points behind Lille.

Monaco have a game in hand in third, so a win for Lyon would see them move to within two points of the automatic Champions League places in a fiercely-contested race.

Lyon have also impressed on the continent, ending Eintracht Frankfurt's record unbeaten run in the Europa League with a 3-2 win at the Groupama on Matchday 6, but Pierre Sage's men have three league games and another Coupe de France tie to play before they return to the European stage.

With just two defeats in 17 games, the odds are stacked in their favour, but they have failed to win their first game after the winter break in each of the last three seasons and if they continue that trend, they will match their worst run in the 1980s.

It would be a shock, however, if the hosts were unable to overcome a shell-shocked Montpellier side who were desperate for a winter break.

Not only are Jean-Louis Gasset's men bottom of Ligue 1, but they have also suffered one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Coupe de France.

Fourth-tier Le Puy-en-Velay thrashed the Ligue 1 side 4-0 in the last 64 - the biggest margin of defeat ever suffered by a top-flight side against a team from the third tier or lower in the competition's history.

With 11 defeats in their last 15 games, Montpellier have a 100 per cent away record this season, and after that humiliation in the cup against the minnows, they now face one of the most in-form teams in France.

Montpellier have just nine points on the board, and 16 of the 17 teams to finish in single figures at this stage of a Ligue 1 season in the 21st century have gone down.

However, the quality at the bottom is not as high as it has been in recent years, and with Montpellier just four points from safety, all eyes will be on their home clash with Angers in a week's time.

Recent Performance

Lyon Ligue 1 form:DWDWWL

Lyon form (all competitions):WWWWLW

Montpellier HSC Ligue 1 form:LWLDLD

Montpellier HSC form (all competitions):WLDLDL

Team News

Duje Caleta-Car's sixth booking of the season earned the Lyon defender a two-match ban, the last of which he will serve here.

Fellow defender Nicolas Tagliafico is also suspended, but missed the last game through injury and would have been a doubt for this one.

Gift Orban and Wilfried Zaha were left out of the squad and are likely to leave later this month, following in the footsteps of Anthony Lopes, who has already joined Nantes, while Thiago Almada is not yet available as his transfer from Botafogo will not be completed until 5 January.

Montpellier will also be without two players through suspension, with Enzo Tcahto and Modibo Sagnan ruled out through yellow card accumulation.

Christopher Jullien is out long-term with a cruciate knee injury, while Kiki Kouyate, Birama Toure and Khalil Fayad are also on the treatment table.

Possible starting lineup

Lyon possible starting lineup:

Lucas Perri; Maitland-Niles, Clinton Mata, Niakhate, Abner; Veretout, Matic, Tolisso; Fofana, Lacazette, Cherki

Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:

Lecomte; Sacko, Omeragic, Maksimovic, Sylla; Ferri, Nzingoula, Savanier; Al-Tamari, Adams, Nordin