AZ vs Lyon Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

AZ Alkmaar’s season is going somewhat predictably so far, which will suit them just fine at the moment. They sit 4th in the Eredivisie, some way behind the top three of Feyenoord, Ajax and PSV but holding firm ahead of the chasing Utrecht and Heerenveen.

They also made it through their Europa League group stage, narrowly beating off the competition of Dundalk and Maccabi Tel-Aviv to finish 2nd, some seven points adrift of dominant group winners Zenit.

AZ’s recent performances have been a bit below par though. They managed a crucial 2-1 win away to Heerenveen on Sunday but prior to that they had endured back to back Eredivisie defeats to Vitesse and PSV to make it three wins, two draws, and two defeats in their last seven games in all competitions.

Fortunately for the hosts the visiting Lyon are in awful shape at the moment. They lost 2-1 to Guingamp on Saturday to make it two wins and five defeats in their last seven games, and it leaves them 4th in Ligue 1 and well out of the race for a surprisingly open Ligue 1 title. They are 13 points adrift of 3rd placed Nice and only one ahead of Saint Etienne below them.

With them out of the domestic title race that does allow focus to drift onto the Europa League, but their continental displays this season have been well below what we expected. They finished 3rd in their Champions League group behind Juventus and Sevilla, and their only victories came against the pointless Dinamo Zagreb. Away from home Lyon have lost four games on the trot now as well, although prior to that they had won five of their last six in all competitions.

Neither of these teams are in particularly good form at the moment, and it’s largely thanks to their defence. AZ have conceded in ten of their last 13 games at home but have only failed to score once, whilst Lyon have shipped at least one goal in ten of their last 13 on the road but have found the net in all but one of their last ten. This makes odds of 3/4 for Both Teams to Score look a good value offering, so I’m backing that alongside a 2-1 win for Lyon at 15/2.

Another bet worth considering is our anytime goalscorer predictions, with Alexandre Lacazette coming in at 4/5 to find the net. He has scored 21 goals in 24 appearances this season and 12 of them have come in his 12 away games.