Lyon vs Lens Prediction: Dominant defences to limit goals

Thursday brings with it some Coupe de France quarter-finals action from Groupama Stadium as Lyon face Lens (20:10 GMT). The hosts have won this competition five times and they last reached the final in 2024. 

Lens are yet to know what it feels like to win this tournament but they have been runners-up on three occasions. Below you will find my Lyon vs Lens predictions, featuring the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Pavel Sulc and Afonso Moreira are doubtful for Lyon on Thursday owing to hamstring problems. Ruben Kluivert is nursing a muscle strain while Malick Fofana has an issue with his ankle.

Ernest Nuamah remains sidelined with a ligament injury and Nicolas Tagliafico (calf) is also set to miss out.

Football Odds

Lens duo Regis Gurtner and Samson Baidoo are struggling with hamstring issues of their own. Jonathan Gradit has a leg injury, while Ruben Aguilar (calf) and Kyllian Antonio (foot) are both doubts for this contest.

Today's Football Fixtures

Lyon vs Lens Odds

Lyon have won each of their past nine competitive home games and they are 7/5 to prevail in regulation time.

The draw is priced at 5/2 and this was the outcome in Lens' most recent away trip which came against Strasbourg. The visitors are 13/8 to claim the victory inside 90 minutes.

Both teams have scored in two of Lens' three appearances in this competition so far and BTTS - Yes is available at 4/6.

To Win Tie - Lens @ 1/1

On paper this looks to be a fascinating cup tie as you have second (Lens) and third (Lyon) in Ligue 1 competing against one another. Most of their success this term has stemmed from their defensive strength, so there is a good chance that this will be played out more like a chess match than a blistering end-to-end contest.

Lyon have triumphed in each of their last nine fixtures on home turf in all competitions, so they should be full of confidence heading into Thursday. They did also defeat Lens in their previous meeting which came on the opening day of the league campaign.

However, Les Gones are up against a side managed by their former coach, Pierre Sage, who spent two years at the Groupama Stadium. He will know better than most what their weaknesses are, and in a competition that his club are determined to win for the first time, this could play a big part here.

I am anticipating a tight game but I think Lens are capable of progressing to the semi-finals, so I am backing them to win the tie.

Total Goals - Under 2.5 @ 1/1

Both these sides have had solid defences throughout the season and I do not see many goals being scored in regulation time. Lens have conceded 21 goals in 24 outings in Ligue 1, while Lyon have been breached 26 times.

I think there is value in covering under 2.5 goals at 1/1 (implied probability of 50%) because it has been a winning selection in each of Les Gones' previous three competitive games on home soil.

Additionally, two of the last three meetings with Lens have produced fewer than three goals, so I suspect this trend will continue.

Bet Builder Winnings Bonus

Opt in req. Bet Builder single (3/1+) on selected matches. 3+ legs. 30% cash winnings bonus. No pre-built Builders. Paid in 24hrs. £20 max stake. Max one bonus per customer. T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.