Sparta Prague vs Lyon Predictions

• Fewer than three goals were scored in each of Sparta Prague’s last four home games.
• Fewer than three goals were scored in three of Lyon’s last four away games.
• There has been an average of 1.5 goals per game in the four Group A matches featuring these teams to date.

Goals likely to be in short supply again

Goals have been in short supply in Europa League Group A so far and this pattern should continue when Sparta Prague host Lyon on Thursday night.

Sparta have four points from their first two games, which saw them keep clean sheets against Brondby and Rangers. Similarly, Lyon’s defence is yet to concede in back-to-back wins over the same opponents.

The Czech First League runners-up will be full of confidence as they bring a five-match winning streak into this and get to play in front of a full house again. Pavel Vrba’s men are a team packed with bags of experience at this level and internationally, mainly for the Czech national side.

Lyon arrive in the midst of some inconsistent results that have seen them unable to break into the top four of Ligue 1. A 2-0 home win over Monaco on Saturday was a step in the right direction and extended their five-match unbeaten run since a 2-1 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain last month.

Sparta can keep Lyon on a leash

Lyon have bags of talent and look the better team on paper, but have failed to capitalise on good starts in their last two road trips that have ended with last-minute goals for the home sides. Only once in their last five away days have Les Gones scored more than once and needed an unfortunate James Tavernier own goal at Ibrox to do that, which suggests Sparta can keep them within touching distance.

The Maroons have been scoring plenty of goals lately – but there’s a big discrepancy in the number of goals they have scored at home (1.67 average) to on the road (2.44) this season, which suggests their style is more suited to playing away.

Therefore, the ‘unders’ bet looks good here and our advice is to back a 1-1 correct score play because of Lyon’s recent history of conceding late goals. Les Gones average one goal per game on the road since August and 1.2 goals per game conceded.