Zenit V Lyon Betting Tips: Both Teams to Score – 27 November 2019

Artyom Dzyuba/Zenit ©imago images / ITAR-TASS 26.11.2019

Zenit St Petersburg V Lyon

Wednesday 27 November 2019 – 20:00 Kick-Off
UEFA Champions League
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: 8/13
Bookmaker: WilliamHill
UEFA Champions League Betting – 22Bet

Preview: Temperatures are going to be freezing in St Petersburg for this UEFA Champions League Group G meeting between Zenit, who are hosting this match inside their Gazprom Arena, and Lyon. The latter will qualify for the knockouts should they win.

 

Zenit V Lyon Live Stats & Betting Odds

 

Zenit Preview – Russians to maximise home comforts?

The club have a 50 per cent success rate (3/6) when it comes to reaching the knockout rounds of this competition, even managing to top their most recent group prior to this season back in the 2015-16 season. Therefore there is form for Zenit (3rd – W1 D1 L2, GF5 GA6) progressing onto the latter stages. For that to occur on this occasion, the Russian Premier League winners must surely need to beat Lyon on a bitterly cold Wednesday night in St Petersburg.

Sergei Semak’s Russian champions trail leaders RB Leipzig by five points in this group. In second are Lyon, boasting a three point buffer over them. Anything less than three points, then, would leave Zenit in a dire predicament heading into the final round. The performance in France back in September, when settling for a 1-1 despite leading through Sardar Azmoun, should give them enough belief that a more favourable outcome can be secured second time around, this time on home soil.

Additionally, playing in Russia has to be viewed as a significant advantage. Firstly, the players should be more accustomed to the harsh conditions that await. Not only that but their form at home this season has remained very strong. RB Leipzig are the only side to have beaten Zenit on their own patch in 2019-20 (W7 D2 L1). As for the other team in this group, Benfica were comfortably dispatched 3-1 with the Portuguese only grabbing a late consolation once well-beaten.

 

Zenit & Both Teams to Score
3/1

Bet365

 

Lyon Preview – The knockouts beckon for Rudi Garcia’s men?

Knockout football awaits Lyon (2nd – W2 D1 L1, GF7 GA4) it seems. The French club sit second in the group, three points ahead of third-placed Zenit, and will be able to celebrate early progression on Wednesday with the necessary result – a win seeing them safely through to the knockout phase. A win, however, proved elusive in France two months ago when Memphis Depay bailed this team out of trouble with an equalising goal from the penalty spot in a 1-1 draw.

Depay, who has been in sublime form in this competition with a goal in all four group games, is rated doubtful for this trip. The Dutchman’s absence would be a big blow, of course, but the team have adapted well without him, with the former Manchester United man having sat out a number of recent fixtures through injury. Saturday’s 2-1 home win against Nice being a fourth win in five (W4 L1), losing only to Marseille (2-1) in that sequence – when I unfortunately tipped them to win.

Lyon have been a frustrating side to follow for me this season. The same applies in this competition; having impressively won 2-0 in Germany against RB Leipzig, they would somehow contrive to lose 2-1 at Benfica. As erratic as they are, their recent resurgence under new manager Rudi Garcia is striking, with performances – and especially results – improving considerably since the 55-year-old’s appointment. Interestingly, they have scored a minimum of one goal in all four group games.

 

Zenit V Lyon Key Facts:

  • Zenit have only tasted defeat on one occasion at home all season (W7 D2 L1) – a 2-0 loss in this competition to RB Leipzig.
  • Lyon arrive in Russia having been victorious in four of their last five matches in all competitions (W4 L1).
  • Their meeting in France ended 1-1; Sardar Azmoun’s opener cancelled out by Memphis Depay’s successful spot-kick.

 

Betting Summary

Zenit (7/5 Betfair), whose form in this group reads W1 D1 L2, approach this must win fixture as favourites, which is probably deserved on the basis of their impressive home form this season (W7 D2 L1). RB Leipzig may have beaten them in St Petersburg but the Germans remain the only side to have done so in 2019-20, while Benfica were comfortably dispatched 3-1. A negative, however, has to be a defence that has failed to record a clean sheet in any of its four group games.

Lyon (2/1 Unibet), whose group form reads W2 D1 L1, could afford to draw this match and still retain control of second position ahead of the final round of games. Victory would make their final encounter redundant, though, and that has to be the aim for the in-form French side. Their form is such that a win in Russia has genuine claims: victory over Nice last Saturday their fourth win in the last five, as new manager Rudi Garcia’s impact continues to be felt.

Their previous encounter against each other finished in a 1-1 draw. Something similar isn’t beyond the realms of possibility. Both teams have a healthy strike rate of 3/4 when it comes to both teams scoring in their group games. Zenit, as hosts, will naturally rate their own chances but could be compromised by a defence that has not kept a single clean sheet thus far, against a Lyon attack looking to score for the fifth group game in succession.