What: French Ligue 1
Who: Lyon v Saint-Etienne
When: Sunday 28th April, 2013, at 13:00 UK Time
Where: Stade Gerland, Lyon, France
Lyon Find Feet Again After Tricky Spell
Football has a habit of throwing up timely fixtures such as this; two local rivals going head to head in what effectively amounts to a playoff for the playoff qualifying round for next season’s Champions League. Lyon have rescued their own form just in time for the visit of Saint-Etienne. Victory away to Montpellier last time out came after a 3-1 win over Toulouse. Prior to that Les Gones had lost three in a row to compound a run of five games without a win.
Part of the blame for their collapse in form was the fact that they were forced to sell once again in January, with Michel Bastos going to Schalke as Remi Garde saw his squad cut yet further. Garde has been dealt a tricky hand during his time in charge at the Stade Gerland, being forced to rely for the most part on a collective of young players, but they are an immensely talented group.
Most prominent amongst them is the prodigious Clement Grenier, whose playmaking ability and passing range have been a highlight of the season for the Lyon faithful. Along with Maxine Gonalons, Samuel Umtiti and Alexandre Lacazette, the new generation have been impressively pushing Garde’s side forward. They appear to have recovered their early season verve – will it be enough to hold off their resurgent neighbours and return to the Champions League?
Les Verts’ Superb 2013 Gathers Pace
Christophe Galtier’s side could not be coming into this game in better shape. Having won their first trophy in over 30 years last weekend when they beat Rennes 1-0 in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, Saint-Etienne visit their fierce rivals on the back of an unbeaten run in the league which stretches back to 2012. Now they can do even better and make it into the top three and a place in the Champions League.
Victory over Ajaccio 4-2 in midweek in their game in hand has lifted Les Verts above Lille and back into fourth place, two points behind opponents Lyon. The banner in the stands at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard against Ajaccio summed up the emotions driving everyone connected with the club at this moment in time however. “The game that matters is on Sunday”, it read.
So much of Saint-Etienne’s form is down to one man in particular, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese forward has been sensational and on Wednesday night became the first Saint-Etienne player to score 19 goals in a top flight campaign since a certain Michel Platini achieved that feat in 1982. Aubameyang has been arguably the league’s outstanding striker behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But it is not all down to him, with Yohan Mollo and Brandao forming a formidable trio up front. Allied to the league’s second most miserly defence, Saint-Etienne have all the ingredients to complete their charge into the top three.
Recent form
Lyon:
Reims 1-0 Lyon (07/04; Ligue 1)
Lyon 3-1 Toulouse (14/04; Ligue 1)
Montpellier 1-2 Lyon (19/04; Ligue 1)
Saint-Etienne:
Valenciennes 0-0 Saint-Etienne (12/04; Ligue 1)
Saint-Etienne 1-0 AET Rennes (20/04; Coupe de la Ligue)
Saint-Etienne 4-2 Ajaccio (24/04; Ligue 1)
Key absences
Lyon: Alexandre Lacazette (doubt); Rachid Ghezzal
Saint-Etienne: Jeremy Clement; Jonathan Brisson; Max Gradel
Players to watch
Lyon– Clement Grenier: The 22-year-old has been at the heart of Lyon’s upturn in form in recent weeks after their tricky spell. He has an assist and a goal from each of his last three matches, underlying both his creativity and passing ability, and a new-found eye for goal. That was particularly evident last time out when he netted a superb volley in the last moments of the match against Montpellier to help his side win 2-1. That keeps his side two points clear of Saint-Etienne and if they are to maintain or extend their advantage Grenier will be at the heart of it.
Saint-Etienne – Mathieu Bodmer: Former Lyon man Bodmer comes face to face with his former employers at the Stade Gerland hoping to make them regret losing his services last year. The creative Frenchman has been in good form and a key reason for Saint-Etienne’s impressive run. He netted against Ajaccio in the week, with a sublime strike, and full of confidence he can put a dent in the hopes of his old side here.
Match Prediction
This promises to be an entertaining and lively encounter between a team looking to end a one-year exile from Europe’s elite and one who have not competed on that stage since their golden era in the 1970s. Saint-Etienne will be battling history too, having won just once in the last 20 years at the Stade Gerland.
With both sides in good recent form and playing some enterprising football going forward, this should be a lively game. Saint-Etienne do have the more resolute defence of the two sides but Lyon have a particularly potent attack. Bafetimbi Gomis can be just as lethal as Aubameyang for Saint-Etienne, even if he has been less consistent this season, whilst Lisandro Lopez’s experience will be key.
For the visitors, they will look to hit Lyon on the counter attack with the prolific creator Mollo and Aubameyang set to linger dangerously around Brandao; their running and creativity is sure to cause the home side serious problems. Lyon will do well to handle their movement and skill. But then the home side are in good shape and the combination of Grenier and former Saint-Etienne man Steed Malbranque in midfield can cause the visitors plenty of problems. A lively encounter could finish all square. Lyon 2-2 Saint-Etienne.
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