Lyon vs Reims Prediction: Lyon to win and over 2.5 goals

On Saturday, Lyon will host Reims at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in a Ligue 1 matchup between mid-table teams. With two league games remaining, Lyon will host Reims and will be hoping to win the game to increase their chances of finishing in the top five of the Ligue 1 standings.

The hosts are still in the running to qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League playoffs the following year. With two games remaining to play, they need victories in each to close the four-point gap they have with fifth-placed Lille. In their last game, they defeated Monaco, who were in fourth position, at home.

Reims has only managed one victory in their past seven league games, and their greatest chance of success this year is a position in the upper half of the standings. They were held to a tie by Angers in their last game, which took place at home. Folarin Balogun recorded a goal, bringing his season total to 20 goals.

Lyon are the favourites considering the away record of Reims. 

After moving up to seventh place in Ligue 1 with three straight victories in early April, Lyon's hopes of finishing in the top five and qualifying for Europe took a new hit when they lost to Marseille at home in a difficult test. Nevertheless, they rapidly recovered from that loss, first winning at Strasbourg away from home and then defeating Montpellier 5-4 in a thrilling match.

A last-minute comeback from Clermont Foot saw Lyon's hopes of finishing in the top five destroyed once more despite going ahead through Lacazette. Most recently, Lyon hosted fourth-placed Monaco last weekend and fell behind early, only to draw level through their in-form forward and go ahead thanks to Maxence Caqueret's goal on the hour mark, before Rayan Cherki wrapped up a crucial victory with his side's third 12 minutes from time.

After their crucial victory the previous time out, Lyon should start the game on Saturday with the same lineup, and captain Alexandre Lacazette is likely to once again be in charge after scoring 26 goals and dishing out five assists in 33 Ligue 1 games this season, including six goals in their last three games.

Rayan Cherki will assist the striker while Jeffinho and Bradley Barcola will likely play on the flanks with Moussa Dembele once more losing out on a starting position.

Sinaly Diomande and Castello Lukeba will start in the centre of the back four instead of German veteran Jerome Boateng, and Corentin Tolisso and Maxence Caqueret will maintain their engine room pairing with Houssem Aouar relegated to the bench.

Lyon's possible starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Lopes

Defenders: Kumbedi, Diomande, Lukeba, Tagliafico

Midfielders: Caqueret, Tolisso, Barcola, Cherki, Jeffinho

Striker: Lacazette

Reims has seen significant progress since Will Still was hired as manager early in the season. Reims head to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in hopes of returning to the top half of the Ligue 1 standings in the last two games. Reims had just eight points after their first ten games when he took over as manager in mid-October. However, in his 26 games in charge of the team in the French first division, they had managed to add 43 points to that total while winning 11 games.

Reims' form has dipped since they began their 17-game unbeaten streak in league play under their new manager. After that run, they lost four of their next six games before regaining their form by beating Lille at home in early May on Marshall Munetsi's lone goal. After that, Still's team had a difficult journey to second-placed Lens, where they lost 2-1 despite having the lead thanks to Folarin Balogun, and most recently hosted already-relegated Angers in an effort to overtake Lorient and reclaim tenth place before the last two games.

Folarin Balogun, an Arsenal loanee who has scored 20 goals in Ligue 1 this season, is one of Reims' prolific main players in attack. Winger Junya Ito is another dangerous player. Marshall Munetsi, who has been instrumental throughout the season and has contributed seven goals and four assists in the league, will continue to play at the base of the midfield, competing with Dion Lopy and Jens Cajuste to join him there.

Emmanuel Agbadou will partner Yunis Abdelhamid at the centre of the defence, with Maxime Busi and Thomas Foket likely filling out the back four as full-backs.

Reims possible starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Diouf

Defenderss: Busi, Abdelhamid, Agbadou, Foket

Midfielders: Munetsi, Cajuste, Ito, Flips, Maolida; 

Striker: Balogun

Lyon has seen over 2.5 goals in their previous seven league games, winning five of those games while picking up five victories. In their previous four home games, they have scored 12 goals, and they have only lost one game at home in all competitions since January. In their past six home games against the visitors, they have only experienced one loss.

Recent league struggles left Reims with only one victory in their past seven games. They have lost their previous three road games, going scoreless in two of those contests.

Despite the fact that under 2.5 goals have been scored in five of their previous seven encounters, Lyon will score at least two goals in this game given their strong performance on Saturday. Hence, a win is expected for Lyon with over 2.5 goals.