Lyon vs. Marseille Betting Preview – Ligue 1, October 4, 2020

Matchday 6 of the 2020/21 Ligue 1 season will be wrapped up by Lyon and Marseille on Sunday, October 4, as the two rivals clash for the latest edition of the famous Choc des Olympiques.

Both sides are languishing in mid-table following iffy starts to the campaign, with ninth-place Marseille sitting just two points and two places ahead of Lyon.

This fixture has produced endless drama over the years, so you won’t want to miss this one! If you’re interested in betting on the game, you can find my Lyon vs. Marseille prediction and pick below.

I think the best online soccer betting sites have taken the head-to-head record into account when pricing up this game. Lyon (1.75) has only lost one of their last 11 Ligue 1 meetings with Marseille (4.45), and that is reflected in bookies’ odds.

Lyon has continuously gotten the better of their old foe in recent years, claiming five straight victories in this fixture before losing the previous encounter. Marseille may currently be ahead in the standings, but form often goes out the window in games like this.

Just over a week after losing to Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League, Lyon kicked off their domestic campaign with a thumping 4-1 victory over Dijon. Memphis Depay netted a hat-trick on Matchday 1, but the team has struggled to establish a rhythm since then.

Draws with Bordeaux, Nimes, and Lorient, along with a defeat to Montpellier, have left Rudi Garcia’s men in the bottom half of the table. Of course, it is still early days. But Garcia will be eager for his side to improve on last season’s below-par seventh-place finish.

I believe the team’s overreliance on Depay is a cause for concern. The Dutchman has scored four of Lyon’s five goals this term, and with rumors of a transfer to Barcelona continuing to circulate, OL could soon be without their star man.

Marseille’s season began with a 3-2 win over Dijon before the Olympians claimed a rare victory over PSG on Matchday 2. However, Andre Villas-Boas’ side has since failed to win any of their last three outings.

OM’s slump started with a 2-0 loss to St-Etienne, with 1-1 draws against Lille and Metz coming soon after. Sure, Marseille has only suffered one defeat so far this term. But last season’s runner-up is already five points behind frontrunner Rennes.

Villas-Boas won’t be panicking just yet, but with PSG stuttering in the early stages of the campaign, the Marseille head coach will know that his side has an excellent opportunity to make an early impact on the title race.

Having said that, OM’s streaky form could see the club fall by the wayside before the title race even starts to take shape.

It’s safe to say that Lyon has enjoyed playing Marseille in recent years. The Kids have had plenty of joy against the Olympians, but it could be difficult for them to clinch all three points this time around.

Marseille hasn’t been scoring many goals of late, but their stubborn defense shouldn’t struggle against Lyon’s one-man forward line. Plus, if Depay isn’t in the mood, the home side won’t pose much of a threat in attack.

Having taken everything into consideration, I can see this game will end in a draw.