Preview: Lyon vs. Clermont - prediction, team news, lineups

Early Ligue 1 pace setters Clermont will aim to record their third successive win of the 2021-22 season when they travel to Lyon for Sunday lunchtime's encounter.

The newly-promoted side beat another former Ligue 2 outfit in Troyes 2-0 last week, whereas Lyon slumped to a dismal 3-0 defeat at Angers.

Match preview

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New Angers manager Gerald Baticle previously spent a decade in the dugout as Lyon's assistant manager, but sentimentality went out of the window as his Scoistes outfit simply outfought and outclassed Les Gones in a 3-0 success last week.

With 20 minutes on the clock, Sofiane Boufal tapped home from a tight angle before Marcelo's embarrassing own goal put the hosts 2-0 up in the second half, and with Lyon then down to 10 men following Maxwel Cornet's sending off, things went from bad to worse for Peter Bosz as youngster Azzedine Ounahi came off the bench to net Angers' third.

Having managed to glean just one point from their opening two matches in the division, with Brest holding Lyon to a 1-1 draw on the opening weekend, life after Rudi Garcia has not started swimmingly for Lyon, who languish just above the relegation zone after two games.

Lyon's inconsistency at the Groupama Stadium may also be a cause for concern, as the hosts have only won one of their last four home matches and are renowned for their topsy-turvy form at their headquarters - often winning one then losing one during the business end of the 2020-21 season.

Not since the 2000-01 campaign have Lyon gone three games without a win at the start of the season, but they have claimed 12 wins from their last 13 Ligue 1 matches against newly-promoted sides as they bid to stop Clermont in their tracks.

In stark contrast, the visitors have made a dream start to their first ever season in the French top flight, as Pascal Gastien's side followed up their 2-0 success over Bordeaux with victory by the same scoreline over Troyes.

Proving his worth in Ligue 1 after his 22-goal haul in Ligue 2 last term, Mohamed Bayo followed up his strike against Bordeaux with both of his side's goals in gameweek two, tapping home from a corner in the 53rd minute before another set-piece routine ended with the 23-year-old doubling his tally with a near-post header.

Gastien's men were helped by an early red card to Issa Kabore but refused to let even a hint of complacency creep in against their fellow newly-promoted side, and they are living in dreamland as they sit second in the table - above Paris Saint-Germain on goal difference.

Slices of history are on the line for Clermont this week, as they could become the first team since the turn of the millennium to win their first three Ligue 1 games and potentially the first team ever to do so with three clean sheets.

However, only five of Clermont's last 14 away games last term saw them come up trumps, but their only previous meeting with Lyon - in the 2004-05 Coupe de France last-16 - saw them progress on penalties against a side boasting names such as Gregory Coupet, Eric Abidal and Juninho.

Team News

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Lyon left-back Maxwel Cornet will serve his suspension this week following his sending off against Angers, while Islam Slimani will also miss out due to an accumulation of bookings.

The hosts have moved to bring Emerson Palmieri to the club from Chelsea on loan, and he may be thrust straight into action in order to fill the void left by Cornet's ban, while Marcelo has been banished to reserve training after an alleged fracas with Cornet.

New arrival Damien Da Silva should take Marcelo's place in the rearguard, while there is uncertainty over Houssem Aouar's participation amid continued links with a move to the Premier League.

Clermont manager Gastien would ideally like to field an identical XI for the trip to the Groupama Stadium, but left-back Vital N'Simba left the pitch in the first half against Troyes with a head injury and will surely not be risked.

Arial Mendy could therefore be the only alteration that the visitors make for gameweek three, and it remains to be seen if Saif-Eddine Khaoui will be cleared to play following his recent move from Marseille.

Lyon possible starting lineup:
Lopes; Dubois, Denayer, Da Silva, Emerson; Mendes, Guimaraes, Paqueta; Toko Ekambi, Dembele, Cherki

Clermont possible starting lineup:
Demas; Zedadka, Hountondji, Ogier, Mendy; Gastien, Samed; Dossou, Berthomier, Allevinah; Bayo

We say: Lyon 2-1 Clermont

As eye-catching as Clermont's start to the season has been, the calibre of their opponents - newly-promoted Troyes and a Bordeaux side in disarray - must be taken into account before a trip to Lyon.

The hosts have certainly not lived up to expectations and have their own issues going on behind the scenes, but we still have confidence in the Les Gones' ability to kickstart their season at the third attempt with a narrow win.