Lyon vs Olympiakos Prediction: Conference League conqueror El Kaabi to strike in France

Lyon recovered from a shocking start to the 2023/24 season to finish sixth in Ligue 1 and qualify for the league phase of the new-look Uefa Europa League. Les Gones begin their European campaign on Thursday (20:00, TNT Sports 6) with the visit of Greek giants Olympiakos to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Read below for my Lyon vs Olympiakos prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Lyon head coach Pierre Sage appears to have no injury concerns heading into Thursday's game, but the Frenchman may opt to make some changes to his starting XI after Sunday's 3-2 home defeat to Marseille.

The backline is likely to stay largely the same due to a lack of senior defenders, but in midfield, Maxence Caqueret will hope to be restored to the lineup, while Rayan Cherki, who scored as a late substitute at the weekend, could also begin the game.

Summer signings Georges Mikautadze and Wilfried Zaha are also in contention, with Zaha yet to make his debut following his loan move from Galatasaray.

Football Odds

Olympiakos will be without injured attacker Giorgos Masouras, while former Sheffield United centre-back Panagiotis Retsos is a doubt after failing to feature since early August.

The Greek side are expected to start last season's Conference League top scorer, Ayoub El Kaabi, in attack, and he could be supported by former Chelsea, Arsenal and Fulham winger Willian, who has made two appearances since joining at the start of the month.

Lyon vs Olympiakos Odds

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Lyon are 5/6 to open up their European campaign with a victory, giving the hosts an implied win probability of 54.5%, while Olympiakos are 3/1, or a 25% chance, to win on French soil.

The draw can be backed at 11/4, both teams to score at 8/11, and over 2.5 total goals at 4/5.

Double Chance & Both Teams to Score - Lyon or Draw & Yes @ 23/20

It's been a poor start to the season for Lyon, who have lost three of their first five Ligue 1 games, winning just one - and that was a 4-3 comeback victory over Strasbourg.

Les Gones have blanked three times already this term and have shipped 11 goals, including three in one game against each of Rennes, Strasbourg and Marseille.

Lyon have scored six times across their last two home matches, however, highlighting their attacking strength, and Marseille's winner on Sunday only arrived in the fifth minute of second-half added time.

The challenge now is to keep the goal count down the other way, which is easier said than done against an Olympiakos outfit that stuck four past Aston Villa at Villa Park in May.

It will be difficult to keep the likes of El Kaabi quiet, so backing both teams to score looks like the obvious move on Thursday.

To add some more value, I'm going for the double chance result on Lyon, putting some faith in them that they will have had some strong words among themselves after Sunday's late defeat.

Lyon ended last season with four home wins on the spin, so they can be a difficult opponent at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais when they can piece it all together, though I'm not willing to stick my neck out totally on them triumphing against the Greek side.

Anytime Goal Scorer - Ayoub El Kaabi (OLY) @ 2/1

I've touched briefly on the goalscoring prowess of El Kaabi, who really put himself on the map last season with a sensational record in Europe.

The 31-year-old scored 16 times in European competition, five in the Europa League before Olympiakos exited at the group stage, and 11 in nine Conference League appearances en route to the final, where his 116th-minute strike won the trophy for the Greek giants.

He's already off to a great start in 2024/25, bagging a brace in a 3-0 victory at Lamia on August 31 and netting in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Aris.

Up against a Lyon defence that has looked shaky - if I'm being kind - so far this season, 2/1 feels like a fair price for him to net anytime on Thursday.

Offers

Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any Carabao Cup or Europa League game on Wednesday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Thursday’s Europa League games.

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