Lyon vs West Ham United
The second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals tie between Lyon and West Ham United promises to be another banger given how their previous meeting went just a few days ago.
Intensity and drama were the theme during their reverse fixture in London as both sides traded punches en route to a 1-1 draw, and we expect more of the same on Thursday at the Groupama Stadium.
With a date against the winners of the other quarter-final tie between Eintracht Frankfurt and Barcelona being the prize, this result will set up another blockbuster affair in the final four.
The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds have heavily favoured neither side for this contest, although certain signs point to a close victory for the hosts.
There’s all to play for here in the Europa League, and football fans are going to be treated with numerous Europa League 2022 highlights anew.
Talking Points
Lyon’s injury list continues to grow
Lyon are fresh from a disappointing 1-1 draw against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 yesterday. The result in itself was bad since it pushed them out further to 10th in the Ligue 1 table, but what’s more concerning is the fact that some of their key players hobbled off with injuries during the fixture.
First-choice goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, Houssem Aouar, and Tanguy Ndombele – who scored the equalizer in the last time out vs. West Ham – are the newest additions to Peter Bosz’s injured list alongside Rayan Cherki, Maxence Caqueret, Sinaly Diomande, and and Thiago Mendes.
The absence of Ndombele is arguably the biggest x-factor heading into the second leg as the former Tottenham man was one of their best performers in the first leg.
It’s not all bad for Les Gones, though, as a key member is set to make his Europa League return on Thursday. Karl Toko Ekambi – who is the team’s leading scorer with 14 goals and five assists – should be ready to go in the second leg.
The Cameroonian looked spry in the last time out as he scored the equaliser to save a point against Strasbourg, and Lyon will need him to be at his sparkling best against West Ham.
West Ham United’s backline in jeopardy
The Hammers, on the other hand, suffered a brutal 2-0 loss at the hands of Brentford for their second Premier League defeat in their last three. During the said game, the Hammers only had one shot on target compared to the Bees’ 15.
A key reason why Brentford got their way is because West Ham were depleted at the back when Kurt Zouma was taken off due to an ankle injury.
With Aaron Cresswell already suspended, losing Zouma as well would truly be a massive blow for West Ham at the backline.
Arthur Masuaku and Issa Diop are likely to replace Cresswell and Zouma in the starting XI. However, both will be understandably rusty since they haven’t been starting for the team lately.
History
Lyon and West Ham United met for the first-time last week and it was only the sixth time ever that Les Gones have drawn away from home in the first leg of a European knockout tie, although they went on to advance in three of the last five instances.
The said match ended in a 1-1 stalemate as the Hammers showed great resilience despite being reduced to 10 men before the halftime break when Aaron Cresswell was red-carded.
Jarrod Bowen clipped in a shot via a deflection off Jerome Boateng to give the Hammers the lead. However, Les Gones restored parity when Tanguy Ndombele found the equalizer midway through the second half.
Lyon (W6, D3) join Eintracht Frankfurt as the only sides that have yet to taste defeat in the Europa League so far this season. Meanwhile, West Ham United have lost each of their last three knockout stage away matches in major European tournaments while failing to score in all three of them.
Betting Tip
The Europa League 2022 odds are slightly favouring the hosts to win on Thursday. Lyon are installed at 2.08, while West Ham United aren’t far behind at 2.95 and a draw after 90 minutes is at 3.35 in the 1X2 market.
It’s hard to pick a clear winner for this one just like in the first leg. So instead, we’re playing it safe and we’ll recommend to go for Under 2.50 @ 1.91 here.
With both sides expected to miss several key players, perhaps this tie is going to be decided on penalties where it’s all up for grabs for the coveted berth in the semi-finals.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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