Barcelona VS Lyon Match Prediction
2019-03-13
20:00:00
Barcelona
VS
Lyon
Our Prediction Tip
Barcelona will win this match.
2019-03-1320:00:00 Barcelona will win this match.
Barcelona are yet to lose a European game, winning four and drawing three of their seven previous matches against each other, including the first leg of this tie. Their last meeting before this season was at this same stage ten years ago – on that occasion, they drew 1-1 in Lyon before Barcelona won 5-2 at the Nou Camp to go through.
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Lyon head to the Nou Camp with it all still to play for in this match, but the French team know they are huge underdogs to get anything from this tie after a goalless first leg.
Barcelona’s home record speaks for itself – they have not lost a Champions League game at the Nou Camp for nearly six years – and with not conceding many either, they will be confident of getting the win they need.
Lionel Messi continues to lead them to glory, while Luis Suarez has been in the goals again lately too.
They have very few injury concerns too, and the strength in depth to cope with those they do have – such as Philippe Coutinho replacing Ousmane Dembele in the front three if the Frenchman misses out.
Lyon welcome back a key figure of their own in Nabil Fekir and know striker Moussa Dembele has scored four times in his last two matches.
But they could not break Barcelona down on home soil and so it is unlikely they will manage to do at the Nou Camp either with Gerard Pique leading the La Liga leaders’ defence.
Barcelona may not have always been at their consistent, free-flowing best this season but they have continued to compete for a treble.
A comfortable home win against Lyon, which they are more than capable of, is certainly on the cards.
It is little surprise to find Barcelona such big favourites to win this second leg, with Bet365, Betfair and Betway all offering 1/4 on a home win.
Neither team scored in the first leg, and you can get a 10/11 from Bet365 and 10Bet against both teams to score in this fixture. Barcelona to win to nil is a best price of 6/5 with Betfair.
With Lyon no pushovers either, however, under 2.5 goals is priced at a best price of 2/1 with Betfair and Bet365.
Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is huge favourite to score at any time, with 888sport offering 4/9 on the Argentinean, but Luis Suarez could also be worth backing given his current form – he is 17/20 with 888sport.
Barcelona’s home advantage should prove key in this second leg, and another shut-out will secure their safe passage into the quarter-finals.
Thomas Vermaelen and Rafinha are Barcelona’s only definite injury absentees ahead of this second leg, but Ousmane Dembele has emerged as a doubt after suffering a hamstring strain at the weekend. His absence would likely mean a start for Philippe Coutinho, who replaced the Frenchman after 67 minutes of the first leg too.
Lionel Messi – Who else? The Argentine maestro’s goal in the win against Rayo Vallecano was his 34th of the season, from 35 games, and he has also laid on 19 assists.
Luis Suarez – Another to net at the weekend, the Uruguayan has scored 20 times and contributed eight assists too.
Jordi Alba – The left wing-back now has 14 assists so far this season – his attacking threat should nullify Lyon’s own offensive plans.
While their goalless draw in the first leg was part of a run of four draws in five matches, Barcelona have won four from five since – their only blip being a defeat in the Supercopa de Catalunya against Girona. Barca won back-to-back matches against Real Madrid before that, with Luis Suarez scoring twice, either side of an own goal, in a 3-0 Copa del Rey win at the Bernabeu before Ivan Rakitic scored the only goal of the league fixture. Last time out, after the defeat to Girona, Gerard Pique, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez all scored as Barca came from behind to beat Rayo Vallecano 3-1.
Nabil Fekir is back for Lyon after missing the first leg through suspension, but captain Marcelo will face a late fitness test on a leg injury he sustained against Strasbourg at the weekend.
Nabil Fekir – The sought-after talisman has scored 12 goals so far this season and bagged seven assists, and adds more creativity after being suspended for the first leg.
Moussa Dembele – Lyon’s top scorer so far this season with 15 to his name after Saturday’s double, as well as five assists, in an impressive debut season after signing from Celtic.
Memphis Depay – Scored in both of Lyon’s wins since the first leg and has contributed 14 assists so far this season too.
Lyon have played four times since their goalless first leg and have won two, drawn one and lost one of those four matches. The defeat came away to Monaco after their Champions League exploits, losing 2-0, but they bounced back in the Coupe de France when Jason Denayer, Maxwell Cornet and Memphis Depay scored in a 3-1 defeat of Caen. Depay, Bertrand Traore and Nabil Fekir also scored against Toulouse in the league next up, before Moussa Dembele’s second-half double ensured a 5-1 win. Dembele then scored twice last time out, against Strasbourg, but the hosts came back to draw 2-2.
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