Lyon vs Auxerre — Tips & Analysis

Auxerre +1.25: Lyon win games, but they rarely win them by much. They have beaten a side by 2 or more goals just 4 times in their last 14 games. That is the case for Auxerre keeping this close. Lyon have kept one clean sheet in their last six home games. Those nights finished 1-1, 1-2, 3-0, 0-4, 4-2 and 3-2, so their own goal gets touched most weeks. They also tied 1-1 with Le Havre last time out, and they went out of the Champions League playoff to Fenerbahce nine days ago. Auxerre are the worry, no question. They are bottom of Ligue 1 with no points from two games and a goal difference of -5. They have let in eight goals in those two games, losing 1-3 to Angers and 2-5 at Lens. Six players are out, including three centre backs. Even so, Auxerre have lost by 2 or more only twice in their last 13 games. These two also meet in tight games. Lyon have won 5 of the last 10 meetings and Auxerre have won 2, and Lyon needed a 3-2 to get past them in April. A 2-1 Lyon win is the likely script, and that keeps Auxerre within a goal. If Lyon's forwards click against a patched up back line, this can get ugly quickly. We still expect Auxerre to stay close.