Lyon vs. APOEL: Champions League Betting Preview

Lyon are nowhere near the force of old and are opposed on Tuesday at an extremely prohibitive price.

The Ligue 1 side host Cypriot champions APOEL in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, as Europe’s premiere club competition makes a welcome return, and it represents a terrific opportunity to progress.

They may well do, but Remi Garde’s side offer no value whatsoever at just 1.45 in the match odds markets and they might have to qualify the hard way.

APOEL, dismissed as complete no-hopers when things got underway in September, advanced from a tough looking section containing Porto, Zenit and Shakhtar Donetsk and their terrific organisational skills combined to produce three valuable away draws.

Having topped Group G, qualifying with a round to spare before suffering their only defeat at home on matchday 6 to the Ukrainians, APOEL must be taken seriously and I see no reason why they are as big as 4.00 to reach the quarter-finals.

That would be quite a remarkable achievement and, while the visitors have managed only six goals in as many matches to date in this season’s competition, it is their defence from which their success has been built.

Lyon, well off the pace domestically, have now won just one of their last five top flight matches and a 2-1 home defeat to Caen on Sunday was alarming.

They reached the knockout stages thanks only to a highly controversial 7-1 last gasp win at Dinamo Zagreb and their limitations were well and truly exposed by Real Madrid in two matches.

While APOEL are clearly not in the same class as the nine-time winners, having the return leg on home soil could prove crucial and they could well be hosting at least on level terms.

Tuesday’s away team have lost just twice on the road all season and should prove tough to break down once again.

2pts Lay Lyon (vs. APOEL) @ 1.45 (Betfair) 1pt Back APOEL To Qualify @ 4.00 (Bet Victor)