Lyon vs FC Porto Predictions

• Lyon have won all but one of their seven Europa League games in 2021-22.
• Porto have lost five of their last seven Europa League away games.

Lyon reserve their best for Thursday nights

Lyon have reserved their best displays for the Europa League this season and there’s no reason to think they won’t have enough to win Thursday’s last-16 second leg at home to Porto too.

Les Gones returned from Portugal with a 1-0 advantage after Lucas Pacqueta’s second-half goal proved decisive in a game where their greater pace and mobility caused Porto big problems. The hosts thought they had equalised in stoppage-time, but VAR rightly overruled it.

Porto’s forward options for this return clash have decreased after Brazilian striker Evanilson’s yellow card brought on a suspension with Toni Martinez expected to partner Mehdi Taremi when the Dragons go in search of goals on Thursday. Sergio Conceicao’s side are cruising to the domestic title – where outwardly it seems they have been helped by some favourable refereeing decisions – but haven’t really got it together in Europe this season.

Hosts have attacking advantage

Porto probably feel they did well to finish third in a ridiculously hard Champions League group before edging past Lazio 4-3 on aggregate in the playoff round. Defensively, they look vulnerable when Pepe isn’t there to organise and the veteran international will be missing from this game after sustaining a head injury in the first leg.

Lyon shipped four goals at home to Rennes last weekend and can’t really be trusted for a clean sheet here, even if they have kept four in seven European games this season. But the hosts, who average almost 2.5 goals per game in this competition so far, have a firepower advantage here with Moussa Dembele, Karl Toko Ekambi and Pacqueta dovetailing well.

That’s why we like them to land a 5/4 play in the match result market and we’re also keen on a 2-1 margin of victory for correct score betting. Lyon have scored at least two goals in ten of their last 12 home Europa League ties while Porto have scored no more than once in their last six away European games (in 90 minutes).