The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a 2-2 draw against Inter Milan in a pre-season friendly last weekend, while Ajaccio also played out a 1-1 draw with Lorient in their recent outing a day earlier.
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Olympique Lyon will host Ajaccio in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 opener at the Groupama Stadium on Friday night. The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a 2-2 draw against Inter Milan in a pre-season friendly last weekend, while Ajaccio also played out a 1-1 draw with Lorient in their recent outing a day earlier. Lyon didn’t have a great Ligue 1 campaign last term, finishing 8th in the standings with 61 points, 15 points adrift of the champions Paris Saint-Germain. Ajaccio, on the other hand, finished second in the 2021-22 Ligue 2 table to earn promotion to the top tier of French football.
?️ @LacazetteAlex on becoming club captain, his relationship with the team’s youngsters and more:https://t.co/diCx0JTnwc pic.twitter.com/jRFVwfVNoh
— Olympique Lyonnais ???? (@OL_English) August 3, 2022
Lyon had an inconsistent pre-season, recording four wins, three defeats and one draw in the eight friendlies. Peter Bosz’s men registered victories against FBBP 01, Dynamo Kyiv, Anderlecht and Feyenoord. Meanwhile their only draw came against Serie A giants Inter Milan last Sunday, courtesy of goals from new summer signing Alexandre Lacazette and Rayan Cherki. Last term, Lyon ended the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season with four wins from their final four home games, netting three goals in each and totaling an impressive 17 in the process. Meanwhile the French club has also made some good summer signings to bolster the squad. Lacazette has joined the club on a free transfer from Arsenal, some of the other big recruits are left-back Nicolas Tagliafico, defensive midfielder Johann Lepenant and Corentin Tolisso.
Ajaccio, on the other hand, managed to win just one of their three pre-season friendlies, while the other two ended in a defeat and a draw. Olivier Pantaloni’s side managed to score just 39 goals in the last Ligue 2 campaign, the fewest in the top six, but the Bears had one of meanest defence in the league, conceding just 19 times. Ajaccio last participated in the Ligue 1 in the 2013-14 campaign. The Bears have been busy in the transfer market this summer, signing Fernanrd Mayembo, Clement Vidal, Romain Hamouma, Thomas Mangani and Mickael Alphonse.
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Lyon left-back Henrique is unavailable due to suspension, therefore new arrival Tagliafico is expected to get a place in the starting eleven. Meanwhile new signing Tolisso is still nursing an injury and is unlikely to make his debut for the Eagles on Friday. Lacazette could lead the line with Toko-Ekambi and Tete in support, while Paqueta is likely to provide the creative spark up front. As for Ajaccio, Pantaloni is expected to start with a 4-4-2 formation with more emphasis on keeping the shape and not giving too much space to the opposition attackers. New arrival Hamouma could partner Moussiti-Oko up front with Mangani and Marchetti pulling the string in the midfield.
Lyon probable starting lineup: Lopes; Gusto, Mendes, Lukeba, Tagliafico; Aouar, Lepenant; Tete, Paqueta, Toko Ekambi; Lacazette
Ajaccio probable starting lineup: Leroy; Alphonse, vidal, Gonzalez, Diallo; Bayala, Mangani, Marchetti, Spadanuda; Hamouma, Moussiti-Oko
The Ligue 1 match between Lyon and Ajaccio will take place at Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Saturday at 12:30 am IST.
| Lyon vs Ajaccio | Key details |
| Date | August 8 (France) |
| Venue | Parc Olympique Lyonnais |
| Kickoff time in France | 9 pm (Friday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 12:30 am (Saturday) |
For the football fans in India, live coverage of Ligue 1 matches are available on Sports 18 network. Meanwhile for those in France, they can catch the live action via Amazon Prime video.
