Strong at home, Lyon face a Nice side yet to score away
Paulo Fonseca’s side are fourth with 11 points and beat Crystal Palace 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday. Nice are tenth with eight points and have lost both away league games without scoring. Kick-off is at 20:45 CEST, with François Letexier the referee. The game is at the Groupama Stadium on Sunday, 18 October 2026, in round 7 of Ligue 1.
“We fully deserved to win.” – Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca after the win over Crystal Palace (translated)
Predicted lineups: Lyon vs Nice
Lyon are missing Openda until mid-November, Tagliafico for about three weeks and Ouédraogo. Niakhaté’s fitness is unclear. Nice are without Mendy, Abergel and Bombito, while Sanson, Abdul Samed and Ngoumou are doubts. The line-ups below follow But!’s prediction; Lyon’s shape is shown as a 4-3-3 in our graphic.
Lyon Team News & Preview
Lyon beat Palace 3-2 on Thursday after leading 2-0 at half-time, with Sulc scoring off the bench. It followed a 2-1 defeat at Lens, their first league loss. Fonseca has had to improvise up front without Openda, and 19-year-old Merah started as a false nine against Palace.
At home Lyon have been solid. They have conceded one goal or fewer in every home league game, with 8 scored and 2 conceded in three matches.
What works for or against Lyon
- Unbeaten at home, 8-2 on goals.
- Beat Palace on Thursday.
- Openda and Tagliafico out.
- Played Thursday, Hoffenheim next Thursday.
Nice Team News & Preview
Nice came from behind to beat Strasbourg 2-1 last weekend, with Clauss scoring in the 80th minute. That made it two home wins in a row. Away from home, though, they lost 3-0 at Paris FC and 1-0 at Auxerre.
Nice have scored five league goals in six games, and no player has more than one. They have had a full week to prepare, which helps, but they have not found a way to score on the road.
What works for or against Nice
- No away league goals.
- Five league goals in six games.
- Two home wins in a row.
- A full week of rest.
Lyon vs Nice Odds
Match Result
Double Chance
Draw No Bet
Over/Under
Both Teams to Score
Lyon vs. Nice Stats Comparison
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Lyon vs. Nice Form Guide
Lyon Form, Stats & Data
Lyon score 1.83 league goals per game and concede 0.67. At home they have two wins and a draw, with 8 goals scored and 2 conceded.
Nice Form, Stats & Data
Nice score 0.83 league goals per game and concede 1.17. Away from home they have lost both games, scoring none and conceding four.
Lyon vs Nice: Prediction & Betting Tip
Lyon are unbeaten at home and have conceded two goals in three home games. Nice have lost both away games without scoring, and no Nice player has more than one league goal. I like Lyon to win at 1.64.
The biggest risk is Lyon’s workload and their missing striker. They played on Thursday, face Hoffenheim next Thursday and have no Openda. Nice are rested and Amoura has the pace to hurt a tired defence. But Nice’s away record is poor, and Lyon have been reliable at home.
I am backing Lyon to win at 1.64 with Winz, and I have it finishing 2-0.