The bottom two sides in the Ligue 1 table will do battle on Sunday, as Lyon welcome Clermont to the Groupama Stadium.
The two sides both remain winless in France's top flight, with the hosts on just three points and their visitors rooted to the foot of the division on two points from their eight matches.
Match preview
© Reuters
Following their seventh-placed finish last time around, Lyon have endured a dismal start to the new Ligue 1 campaign, as they return from the second international break of the term still winless after eight outings.
The campaign began under the management of Laurent Blanc, but he would quickly depart with Les Gones having drawn one and lost three of their first four league matches, conceding 10 goals and only scoring three along the way.
After Jean-Francois Vulliez took temporary charge for a goalless draw with newly-promoted Le Havre in mid-September, Fabio Grosso stepped into the hot seat, but he has been unable to inspire an upturn in form in his three games in charge thus far, as they suffered 1-0 and 2-0 defeats away at Brest and Reims in his first two games in charge.
That meant they headed into their final game before the recent break at home to Lorient with just two points on the board, and Les Gones were again unable to come out on top in a dramatic contest, coming from behind to lead 3-1 through Ernest Nuamah and an Alexandre Lacazette brace, only for their visitors to draw back level with Darlin Yongwa forcing a share of the spoils with a 79th-minute equaliser.
Now already four points behind Lorient in the relegation playoff place and five adrift of automatic safety, Lyon will be desperate to reverse their fortunes on their return to action and score a first league win of the season at the ninth time of asking on Sunday to kickstart a more positive run and a climb up the top flight.
© Reuters
They meet a Clermont side who have endured a tough start of their own in Ligue 1 after finishing three points behind Sunday's hosts in eighth place in Ligue 1 last term.
After three straight defeats to kick off the season, they put their first point of the campaign on the board in a 2-2 draw away at Toulouse at the beginning of September, but they were unable to build on that and kick off an improved run, suffering 1-0 and 2-1 losses to Nantes and Le Havre in the following two outings on their return from the first international break.
Les Lanciers would follow those defeats up with an impressive point at least, as they held defending champions Paris Saint-Germain to a goalless stalemate at the end of September, before most recently travelling to take on Montpellier in their search for a first win of the season.
That game did not go to plan for Pascal Gastien's men, though, as they trailed 4-2 despite drawing level on two separate occasions through Yohann Magnin and Cheick Oumar Konate, as the hosts went back ahead with 10 men through Teji Savanier and Mousa Tamari before the game was suspended in the dying minutes, with a firework from the crowd landing near Clermont goalkeeper Mory Diaw.
With their standing growing ever more concerning, having already fallen six points adrift of safety, Les Lanciers will also look to end their wait for a first win of the campaign to leapfrog their hosts and get their survival bid up and running.
Team News
© Reuters
Lyon will likely head into Sunday's match with a clean bill of health, and Grosso may look to make several changes to the starting XI that featured against Lorient last time out, with midfielders Corentin Tolisso and Rayan Cherki both vying to come back in from the start after settling for substitute appearances in the 3-3 draw.
Tolisso will likely return at the base of the midfield, while Cherki will hope to feature alongside Maxence Caqueret in a more advanced role, with Alexandre Lacazette bound to again lead their line having netted three goals in his five Ligue 1 appearances so far this term after hitting the net 27 times in the top flight last time around.
Jake O'Brien was handed his first two starts of the season alongside Dejan Lovren at centre-back in their last two outings prior to the recent break, and he will hope to continue from the outset and beat off competition from Duje Caleta-Car and Sinaly Diomande.
Clermont are without defender Neto Borges on Sunday, as he will serve a suspension after being sent off late in their clash with Montpellier before the break.
Pascal Gastien should again line Les Lanciers up in a 3-5-2 shape, and Grejohn Kyei and Komnen Andric are both pushing to earn starts up front after Shamar Nicholson and Muhammed Cham were preferred last time out.
Maxime Gonalons and Johan Gastien will look to bring solidity and experience in the engine room, allowing Yohann Magnin to operate slightly further forward, while Alidu Seidu, Andy Pelmard and Maximiliano Caufriez are all fighting to keep their places in defence after a tough outing against Montpellier.
Lyon possible starting lineup:
Lopes; Mata, Lovren, O'Brien, Tagliafico; Tolisso; Nuamah, Caqueret, Cherki, Jeffinho; Lacazette
Clermont possible starting lineup:
Diaw; Seidu, Pelmard, Caufriez; Konate, Gastien, Magnin, Gonalons, Allevinah; Cham, Kyei
We say: Lyon 3-1 Clermont
Lyon are certainly yet to click this season, but they have an opportunity at the weekend with another side devoid of confidence making the trip to the Groupama Stadium.
Les Gones should have far too much quality throughout their squad for the struggling hosts, and we can only envisage them finally scoring a first league win of the season and Grosso's tenure on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
