Clermont Foot 63 vs Lyon Prediction: Can Lyon achieve another exhilarating victory?

Sunday's Ligue 1 match between Lyon and Clermont will be played at the Stade Gabriel Montpied as part of their late-season push for Europe. In what may be a historic season for the hosts, only six points separate the two clubs. Although Lyon is four spots ahead of the hosts in the rankings, both clubs enter the match in comparable shape.

Six games in a row, Clermont hasn't lost, taking 16 of a possible 18 points. Lyon, on the other hand, has won 10 straight games with only one loss, amassing an amazing 21 points.

This sets up an enthralling encounter but Lyon has the pedigree not to loss this game. 

Although Clermont's resurgence has come just a little bit too late for them to seriously consider competing for a spot in Europe, this season has been amazing anyway. With only one point between ninth and eleventh and Clermont by far the most in-form team out of the four teams, they are on track to achieve a first-ever top-half finish in Ligue 1.

A five-game winning streak came to an end in their 1-1 draw with Auxerre last week, but another point has put them in touch with the teams immediately above them. However, Europe is currently only a distant reality for Clermont thanks to a nine-point lead for Lille in fifth place.

However, considering how close it is for those spots, their low goal difference might dash hopes of a top-half finish. Only four clubs in the whole division have scored fewer goals than Clermont's 37, and despite winning 10 games since then, they haven't scored more than two goals in a game since the first week of October.

After receiving a straight red card against Reims two weeks ago, Mateusz Wieteska will continue to miss games for Clermont due to his suspension. Maxime Gonalons won't be able to play against his old team because of a hamstring issue.

Clermont Foot's possible starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Diaw

Defenders: Seidu, Ogier, Caufriez

Midfielders: Allevinah, Magnin, Gastien, Neto Borges

Strikers: Khaoui, Kyei, Rashani

Meanwhile, Lyon's stunning victory against Montpellier last weekend kept their European aspirations alive. They were initially 4-1 down at the Groupama Stadium due to Elye Wahi's treble, but Alexandre Lacazette battled back with four goals of his own, including the game-winning penalty in the 99th minute.

With this victory, Lyon has now won five of their previous six games, cutting the difference between them and Lille in fifth place to just three points. Laurent Blanc is under pressure to beat Lille, though, since there are rumors that he may lose his job if Lyon fails to make the European playoffs for a second straight year.

Laurent Blanc has turned Lyon into a difficult team to beat, as no club has lost fewer games since the halfway mark than OL, despite some early skepticism when he came soon before the World Cup. Lyon has won 23 out of a possible 30 points in their past 10 away games, so Blanc will be hoping they can keep up their excellent away form to revenge the loss they suffered in the first meeting of 2023.

Lacazette and Bradley will be the first names on the team sheet owing to their amazing contributions this season. Houssem Aouar is still questionable owing to sickness, while Corentin Tolisso and Castello Lukeba have both been reinstated after serving their respective suspensions for missing the hectic encounter against Montpellier. Lyon's seasoned defender Jerome Boateng is still out with a muscle issue.

Lyon's possible starting lineup:

Lopes; Gusto, Lovren, Lukeba, Tagliafico; Thiago Mendes, Tolisso, Caqueret; Cherki, Lacazette, Barcola

For the first time in more than two years, Clermont has the opportunity to win four straight home games, but this will put their strong defense to the test. Lyon is one of the most dangerous teams in the division right now mostly owing to the hot form of Lacazette. Hence, the away team has a chance to halt Clermont's impressive streak in this game. 

Clermont may make this game challenging for Lyon. They don't let up many goals, and as their recent undefeated streak demonstrates, they're challenging to beat any team. However, Lyon has been in superb form recently and has demonstrated that it is capable of beating all odds, as was the case against Montpellier last weekend. We expect an away win with potential scoreline of 0-2, 1-2, or 1-3.