Liverpool v Lyon Preview: UEFA Champions League Football Match

Liverpool v Lyon

Tuesday, Oct. 20 2009, Anfield

UEFA Champions League Football

Kick-Off: 19:45

Liverpool

Liverpool will be looking to bounce back after Saturday’s loss against Sunderland as they welcome Lyon to Anfield on Tuesday for the first Liverpool vs Lyon Champions League meeting this season.

In fact, Liverpool has lost their last three competitive matches and will be hoping for a good response despite being without the services of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, both of whom were absent when Rafa Benitez’s men made the trip to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Both players are struggling to return from groin injuries following last week’s international matches.

Liverpool could certainly have used the support of their captain and Spanish striker, but the loss to Sunderland came down to one of the more bizarre goals of the season.

A balloon from the stands had found its way onto the pitch following a Liverpool corner, and when Sunderland hit back on the counter attack, Darren Bent’s effort deflected off the balloon and left Pepe Reina helpless in Liverpool’s goal.

Having recently lost to Fiorentina in the Champions League, Benitez will know the importance of three points in Tuesday night's Liverpool vs Lyon clash.

Lyon

Claude Puel will bring his Olympique Lyonnais side to Anfield for this Liverpool-Lyon Champions League match following the club’s first loss of the season on Saturday.

Lyon has opened their Champions League account on a positive note, and after winning both of their opening matches, Lyon will have a real opportunity to put some daylight between themselves and the rest of the pack when they take on Liverpool on Tuesday.

Still, Puel will feel his side has something to prove after a poor performance this weekend against Sochaux handed them their first defeat of the season.

The loss came against a motivated Sochaux club who put it all on the line for Charlie Davies after the American striker’s horrific car accident.

Nevertheless, Lyon will feel that after one way traffic for the majority of the match, they should have taken not only a point, but all three from the encounter.

A number of first team regulars were rested in the Olympique Lyonnais-Sochaux fixture, as it is assumed that Puel had his mind already focused on the upcoming match with Liverpool.

Prediction

The two teams have not met before, so there is no past Liverpool vs Lyon head-to-head results to consider. However, Liverpool do historically fare well against French clubs, while Lyon have only won once on English soil before.

Liverpool relies largely on their two top guns, and without them they have a tendency to look very average.

All the same, with the Cop behind them, the Reds will still be favoured to beat Lyonnais, having won nine of their last twelve Champions League meetings at Anfield.

Liverpool vs Lyon Prediction: Liverpool 1—Lyonnais 0

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And check out our other previews for tonight's matches, including AZ Alkmaar vs Arsenal in Holland, Barcelona vs Rubin Kazan at the Nou Camp and Inter Milan vs Dynamo Kiev at the Meazza.