Will the crisis-hit Gones secure a direct ticket to the last 16?

Olympique Lyon, in fifth place in the Europa League league phase, is on course for the round of 16. However, the former serial champion of the noughties currently has completely different issues. The club is burdened with debts of around 500 million euros, about a third of which must be repaid by the end of the season, otherwise its existence will be at stake. If Lyon beat Ludogorets Rasgrad, the Gones will win at home, but at least in sporting terms, a small milestone would be reached with a direct ticket to the last sixteen.
Nothing should stand in the way of the eagles, who have only been eliminated three times in 21 attempts. The Eagles have already been eliminated with only three out of a possible 21 points and did not exactly cover themselves in glory in the league phase. Our prediction for Lyon v Ludogorets is also influenced by the fact that the Bulgarians have scored just three goals and have the weakest attack in the Europa League.

Although OL have conceded seven goals in seven games in the league phase, on average they have conceded one goal per game. Nevertheless, even after the Bulgarians’ recent 2-0 home defeat to FC Midtjylland, the Eagles’ away goal at Parc Olympique Lyonnais would come as a surprise.

There is much to suggest that “Les Gones” will be able to secure a clean sheet at the end of the league phase in front of their home crowd. Merkur Bets is offering odds of 1.93 for Lyon against Ludogorets Rasgrad that OL will not only win but also keep a clean sheet.

Lyon – Statistics & current form

Olympique Lyon secured all seven championships in the club’s history between 2002 and 2008. In 2010 and 2020, Les Gones also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. In 2017, they reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.

A thoroughly successful history, then, but one that would not prevent the club from disappearing into obscurity next summer. Specifically, of the approximately €500 million, around €175 million must be repaid by the end of the season to ensure that the lights do not go out in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Lyon and the fear for the future

Girondins de Bordeaux, who were forced into fourth division after being relegated, are a prime example of how quickly a traditional club in financial difficulty can end up in trouble. Before OL has to play through any “worst cases”, it is important to achieve maximum sporting success in the current season.

And after all, the overall victory in the Europa League is rewarded with an additional six million euros on top of the bonuses for reaching the final, which would further boost the club’s already empty coffers. If you bet on Lyon to win at home against Ludogorets Rasgrad, you could also win a half-million-euro bonus.

Lyon with an impressive European home record

OL are not exactly in great form going into this match. “Les Gones” have not won any of their last five competitive games (four draws, one defeat). Nevertheless, their home record in the competition is impressive.

In the preliminary rounds of the Europa League, i.e. in the league phase and formerly in the group phase, the south-easterners secured 11 wins from their last 15 home games (three draws, one defeat). In these 15 home games, they only conceded eight goals, which shows that, at least in Europe, they always held their own.

Ludogorets Rasgrad – Statistics & current form

The PFK Ludogorets Rasgrad may only have existed since 2001. But since the Eagles won their first ever championship in Bulgaria in the summer of 2012, there has never been another champion in what is arguably the most one-sided of all European leagues.

Last summer, the green-and-whites secured their 13th league title. Under coach Igor Jovićević, the 2024/25 season also looks set to be a sure-fire success. After 19 league games, they have 53 out of a possible 57 points.

Ludogorets Rasgrad continues to dominate at least at the national level

This means that the Rasgrad team is already leading the table by 13 points ahead of Botev Plovdiv. That’s the team they face in the first competitive game after the winter break next Tuesday, when the Super Cup is played in Bulgaria.

Before that, the eagles could at least make a small statement in the Europa League, where they are still winless after seven games (three draws, four defeats), but that is very unlikely. LeoVegas offers odds of 14.00 for Tip 2 against Lyon against Ludogorets Rasgrad, which underlines the green-whites’ role as rank outsiders.

Ludogorets Rasgrad have a hard time scoring goals

Ludogorets have now lost four consecutive away matches in the main rounds of UEFA competitions. In addition to a single 0-0 draw, there were three defeats. The eagles have remained goalless in all four matches.

Overall, Rasgrad have scored just three goals in seven Europa League group-stage matches, the worst record in the competition, which is why the winless Bulgarians are unlikely to get anything out of the game in the French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Lyon – Ludogorets Rasgrad Head-to-head / H2H record

There has never been an international competitive match between the two clubs before. While Ludogorets Rasgrad did face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in 2016/17, getting a respectable 2-2 away draw at the Seine, Olympique Marseille are now facing a Bulgarian club for the first time ever. The Eagles will be the 32nd different nation that Les Gones have faced in a European competition.

Lyon – Ludogorets Rasgrad Tip

The betting odds of the best bookmakers are clearly in favor of the hosts at Lyon against Ludogorets Rasgrad, who currently occupy fifth place in the league phase table. “Les Gones” are very strong at home. The team from the south-east of France have won 11 of their 15 home games in the group and league phases of the Europa League (three draws, one defeat), and have only conceded eight goals in these 15 games. In view of the fact that the guests from Bulgaria have the weakest offense of all 36 teams in the competition, the away goal bet is not a good idea.

In their last four away games in the main rounds of UEFA competitions, the Eagles not only remained winless (one draw, three defeats), but also went completely without scoring, which is why our prediction for Lyon against Ludogorets Rasgrad is a clean sheet for the Gones.

Merkur Bets are offering odds of 1.93 for OL to win without conceding a goal. With a home win, OL would secure two weeks without games in February, which is dominated by the German federal election in Germany, as the trip would then go directly to the last sixteen.