Porto vs. Olympique Lyon — Will Olympique Lyon Stop The Rampant FC Porto?

March 9, 2022

Benson Chikezie, Senior Author

FC Porto will host Lyon as both sides clash in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 playoffs. The mouth-watering encounter is made even more exciting as Porto are on an 18-match unbeaten run (15 wins and 3 draws) in all competitions, and Lyon were the standout team in the group stages with 5 wins and 1 draw. The game kicks off at 23:15 IST on the 9th of March, 2022.

Porto seem to be playing on steroids of late, ever since their Champions League exit on the final group stage matchday. They went past Lazio 4-3 on aggregate, while Lyon, who have struggled since conquering the group stage, roared to a perfectly timed 4-0 win over Lorient during the weekend. Lyon’s blip in form appears to be over in time for this fixture against one of the most in-form attacking teams in Europe at the moment.

Teams Status

Take a deeper look into all the latest on the form and team news for both sides:

Porto Form and Team News

Top of the Primeira Liga, 18 matches unbeaten, and an in-form striker in Mehdi Taremi— Porto are in high spirits and seemingly unstoppable at the moment. Since their Champions League exit, the Portuguese side have scored 43 goals in 18 games, winning 15 and drawing 3, with an average of over 2 goals per game.

Porto are running away with the league title, 6 points at the top of the table, and yet to lose a league game. They have already scored 63 goals and conceded 19, winning 21 matches and recording 4 draws. Their victory over Lazio in the Europa League has also put them in the spotlight, and they are already being mooted as the tournament’s dark horses.

For Porto’s team news, they are lucky to be without any major injury problems. However, defender Wilson Manafa will sit out this encounter as he has a leg injury.

Olympique Lyon Form and Team News

Lyon have played 11 matches since Porto exited the Champions League and have been on a mixed run of form over that period. They won 5, drew 4, and lost 2 of those 11 games, all of which were domestic matches, taking them down to 9th in Ligue 1 and 3 points off the last European spot. In Europe, the Ligue 1 side were the finest team in the group stages with the best group-winning record.

With 16 points from a possible 18, 5 wins, 1 draw, 16 goals scored, and 5 conceded, Lyon have played their best football this season in the continental competitions. Star forward Toko Ekambi leads the scoring charts for OL with 6 goals and 2 assists in the Europa League.

For their team news, Olympique Lyon are faced with several absences as they travel to Portugal. Defender Jerome Boateng is out injured, along with Cherki Rayan, Leo Dubois, Sinaly Diomande, and Tanguy Ndombele.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Porto	Draw	Olympique Lyon
2.05	3.75	3.80
2.1	3.58	3.82
2.04	3.45	3.75

Porto vs. Lyon is setting up to be one exciting fixture in this season’s Europa League Round of 16. While not much separates both teams on the pitch, the sportsbook are picking Porto as favorites in the first leg of their clash. The sportsbook on Sportsbet.io places the home team to win at 2.04 odds and a draw at 3.45 odds. For Paripesa, Porto’s win is at 2.1 odds, and a draw is placed at 3.58 odds.

Porto are the home team with a decent home record in knockouts, so it is clear why they are named favorites going into this game. They are also favorites to win on the Parimatch sportsbook at 2.05 odds, with the odds for a draw and a Lyon victory at 3.75 and 3.80, respectively. Lyon to win is placed at 3.82 odds on Paripesa and lower on Sportsbet.io at 3.75 odds.

Tipster’s Angle

Both sides have only met once in a competitive setting— a two-legged affair in the UEFA Champions League 2003/2004 season, which Porto went on to win. Porto won 4-2 on aggregate, and the head-to-head record stands at 3 wins for Porto, 1 for Lyon, and 2 draws.

Both sides have in-form attackers in Taremi and Ekambi, and while Porto have been banging in goals of late more than Lyon, the French side managed a 4-1 victory over the weekend. Here are the possible outcomes we expect to play out in this fixture:

Tip: Both Teams To Score @ 1.68

Lyon have averaged over 2 goals per game in the Europa League this season, and with Porto in such blistering form, it is hard to rule out the possibility of both sides scoring. They have in-form strikers, play excellent attacking football, and are not exactly known for their defensive mastery. Their last meeting ended in a 5-3 win for Porto, so the odds for both teams to score are available on the Melbet sportsbook at 1.68 odds.

Tip: Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.23

Multiple goals between two teams great at scoring is not a rare outcome. Both sides have averages of 2 goals per game under different circumstances this season. We expect to witness more than one goal in this match. Over 1.5 goals is available on the Paripesa sportsbook at 1 23 odds.

Conclusion

Porto vs. Lyon is a clash between the dark horses and the most influential team in the group stages of the Europa League this season. We expect attacking football at its best and more than 1 goal on the night.

Benson Chikezie

18:01, 9 Mar 2022

Senior Author

Benson Chikezie

Senior Author

18:01, 9 Mar 2022

Benson Chikezie is a Nigerian-based writer with many years of experience in the sports betting industry. He is a digital marketer by profession. Benson has written many sports related contents for various websites.