Lyon vs Benfica Predictions

Group G is the tightest pool in the Champions League as it stands, with very little between any of the four sides who each harbour ambitions of getting out the group. Both Lyon and Benfica head into this clash sitting outside the top two spots; can either side claim a victory to boost their hopes of surviving in Europe past Christmas?

Lyon have been left third – behind Leipzig and Zenit – following that defeat in Portugal. They do have the bonus of the top two sides clashing on Tuesday, which offers a chance for the winners of this game to return to the qualification spots. However, the hosts don’t have a stellar home record. In fact, Lyon head into this one chasing a first home win in the Champions League since September 2016.

They also come into this one having drawn their last six home matches in this competition, which offers an opening for Benfica to get something here. The visitors are searching for a point to keep them in the mix for second, while they are trying to turn around a three-game losing run on the road in this competition. The Portuguese giants head into this one following a five-game winning run, which has seen them score 11 times. Can they continue that scoring streak in France?

Part of Lyon’s struggles in this competition has been their defensive record. The hosts have seen both teams score in four of their last five home matches in this competition, with the only exception a backs-to-the-wall draw with Barcelona. When Lyon get forward, they tend to leave gaps at the back. Their last 11 games in this competition have seen both teams score on nine occasions; can that record continue in this clash?

The Portuguese champions should pack a punch in this clash, especially with Lyon having trouble at the back. We expect another open tie between these two, so we are backing both teams to score on Tuesday night, with Benfica likely to get forward to test the French side at the back.

Given Lyon’s poor record in this competition, we aren’t backing them to take the points this week. Their string of draws at home do include a few strong results, but their defensive issues continue to let them down. Benfica showed they can cause problems for Lyon with their 2-1 win in the reverse fixture, so we are backing them to continue the string of draws at this ground. A 2-2 draw is our correct score pick here, having landed in three of five home games for the Ligue 1 side.