EUROPA LEAGUE BETTING PREVIEW - LYON VS BESIKTAS

Europa League

2024-10-24 - Lyon vs Besiktas

A Sports Betting Preview by Auls

Lyon v Besiktas
Football: UEFA Europa League Group Stage
Thursday 24th October 2024 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV

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Lyon

The expectation is that Paris Saint-Germain will eventually pull clear and win the French title again, but there has been room for surprising teams to come through and earn a spot in the Champions League. In recent years France have provided different names to enter the premier UEFA competition, including Brest this season, and Lyon will certainly feel they are one of the challengers for those spots behind PSG.

The Europa League offers another path into the Champions League, but winning this competition may feel more difficult than pushing for a top four spot in the French Ligue 1. However, Lyon may feel they have made a stronger start in the Europa League and their perfect record has them up in 2nd place and most certainly targeting a Bye through to the Last 16 by finishing in the top eight places.

Lyon conceded an injury time winner in a defeat to Marseille, but have bounced back perfectly with 5 straight wins in all competitions. The side have won 3 of their last 4 at home in all competitions with the exception being that defeat mentioned against Marseille.

Besiktas

Three clubs that play in Istanbul are involved in the Europa League Group Stage this season, but Besiktas have not made the same kind of start as rivals Galatasaray or Fenerbahce. It is Besiktas who are the nearest challengers to Galatasaray domestically, but they have work to do if they are going to find a way to finish in one of the top twenty-four places in the Europa League and earn a spot in the Knock Out Rounds.

While they are facing a team that have made a perfect start, Besiktas will be looking for their first points in the Europa League Group Phase having been beaten by both Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt. There are tough tests ahead later in this section, which means Besiktas are already under a bit of pressure.

Besiktas are unbeaten domestically and they did see off Lugano in the last Qualifying Round in the Europa League, but the heavy defeats to Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt will have dented confidence. They were beaten 4-0 in Amsterdam and Besiktas also conceded three times in the 3-3 draw at Lugano in the Qualifying Rounds.

Head to Head

These clubs met in the 2016/17 Europa League Quarter Final and it was Lyon who eventually prevailed on a Penalty Shoot Out after both Legs ended in 2-1 wins for the home team.

Prediction

They may not be the team they once were, but Lyon have made a very good start to the Europa League and they look capable of backing up the early successes.

Since losing to Marseille, Lyon have won 5 in a row in all competitions and this is a team that scores plenty of goals.

It is certainly going to be an issue for Besiktas who have conceded seven goals in 2 Europa League Group fixtures played and who also conceded three times at Lugano in the final Qualifying Round back in August.

Besiktas are a team that deserves to be respected as they continue trying to chase early Turkish pacesetters Galatasaray, although it does feel the step up to this level may be a touch too high for them. They will try and frustrate Lyon, but containing the home team might be too much to ask for a Besiktas team that have struggled against Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt already.

Lyon have shown their capabilities in the final third and that may be the qualities that lead to another three points and push the side well on the way to a top eight finish.

The Pick :

Lyon 3-1 Besiktas

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back Lyon to Win & Over 1 Total Goal (Bet Builder) at 1.75 with Bet365 (early payout if a team is leading by two goals)