Overview of Lyon vs Olympiacos

The match that will be played in the Europa League between Lyon and Olympiacos at the Groupama Stadium on September 27, 2024, is so crucial for both teams. The tension is high, as both associations aspire to recover from their latest domestic missteps and develop momentum in Europe.

• Match: Olympique Lyon vs Olympiacos Piraeus
• Match Number: Matchday 2
• Date and Time: 27th September 2024, 00:30
• Venue: Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France

Lyon: Strengths and Weaknesses

Lyon has had a tough time during the initial half of the 2024-2025 Ligue 1 campaign being winless in their first five fixtures. They have only sometimes been successful in defence, having given away many goals in the previous matches, including a 3-2 loss to Marseille and 3-0 to Rennes. This has been a major weakness for them – especially their backline which has not been very compact and as such players in that formation have been guilty of switching off at crucial times. Jittery at times but Lyon’s attack spearheaded by Alexandre Lacazette continues to remain a threat. They have not been themselves in front of the goal in recent games, as they have not scored in three of the last five games.

However, this cannot be said of home advantage for Lyon considering all the aspects. Further, for the most part, they do well in European competitions. Dynamic attacking options and a bench filled with fresh talents like Rayan Cherki and Malick Fofana make Lyon a real threat on the European stage. The presence of fully mature midfielders such as Corentin Tolisso and Nemanja Matic provide some much needed ball mastery through which the former has been quite in and out this season.

Olympiacos: Strengths and Weaknesses

Lyon, on the flip side, heads into the game with a more solid run of matches than Olympiacos, although they did fall to Aris Thessaloniki for their first defeat in the Greek Super League season. Before that they had not lost a game in the last five games across all competitions and had scored more than once and had a good defence.

Their forward force spearheaded by Ayoub El Kaabi has been quite efficient and El Kaabi has been the most effective among them. Olympiacos has scored at least two goals in their last 14 of 20 games, which shows their prowess in attack. They are also very hard to break down, with their goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis having three clean sheets in the last five games. As much as their home form in the competitions is impressive, their away performance is more of a toss and may prove tricky in the Groupama Stadium frenzy.

The midfield of Olympiacos, with Chiquinho and Dani Garcia, offers a connection between the defensive and the attacking line. They can change from putting pressure high up the field to improve their backline, which could shake Lyon’s composure. Their biggest issue seems to be a lack of focus in crucial moments, as seen in their recent match against Aris.

Tactical Battle and Key Players

Olympiacos will have a chance to attack Lyon’s weak defence and their forwards El Kaabi and Roman Yaremchuk are in good form. Lyon’s chances of winning will be greatly influenced by their midfield dominating the possession and giving Lacazette and Cherki room to manoeuvre.

For Lyon, especially in defence, Clinton Mata and Nicolas Tagliafico need to be vigilant to prevent conceding goals. In contrast, Olympiacos’ defence will rely on David Carmo and Panagiotis Retsos to keep Lyon’s attackers at bay, particularly by neutralising the threat of Lacazette, who can change the game with a single moment of brilliance.

Prediction

Comparing the form of the two teams in this match, Olympiacos seems to be more prepared than the other team. Lyon is a more comfortable team at home, but they have been unreliable at the back, which makes them more vulnerable. On the other hand, Olympiacos has a more balanced offence and has shown consistent form in both attack and overall performance in recent matches.

Many fans could expect to watch a hard-fought battle in which both teams had a fair number of chances to clinch a victory. The score could end in 2-2, because both teams will go forward chasing a goal, but, probably, they will have no desire to focus on the defence at the end of the match.