Manchester City v Lyon: Citizens on the handicap the way to play

Manchester City v Lyon
Wednesday September 19, 20:00
Live on BT Sport

Manchester City targeting Champions League success

Manchester City are only "halfway up their Everest" according to owner Sheikh Mansour, who wrote an open letter to fans on the 10th anniversary of his acquisition of the club last week. There's no doubt that Champions League success is next on the Citizens wish list.

The Premier League champions warmed up for their latest continental efforts by maintain their unbeaten Premier League record with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Fulham at the Etihad Stadium. Leroy Sane netted on his first start of the season before David Silva and Raheem Sterling completed the rout.

Benjamin Mendy picked up a knee injury and is not expected to feature here so Fabian Delphshould fill-in at left-back, although Aymeric Laporte is an option. Elsewhere, Sergio Aguero avoided serious injury at the weekend but may only be fit enough for the bench with Gabriel Jesus possibly given a starting berth.

Lyon yet to click into gear

Lyon continued their stuttering start to the season with a 2-2 draw at nine-man Caen on Saturday, salvaging a point thanks to Ferland Mendy's late equaliser. Les Gones had been hoping to build some momentum ahead of their trip to Manchester but struggled to find any as they were second best throughout.

Bruno Genesio's group had taken a lead through World Cup winner Nabil Fekir's superb free-kick but a second-half fight-back from the Normandy club meant Mendy's late strike clinched a point as Lyon failed to triumph for the third outing in five during domestic duties (W2-D1-L2).

Memphis Depay was rested at the weekend but is expected to start here with Moussa Dembele potentially missing out if the Lyon boss fields a conservative side. Elsewhere, former Manchester City defender Jason Denayer is line to partner Marcelo at the heart of the visitors' backline.

City expected to rack up cushy win

Manchester City claimed five wins from six Champions League group-stage games last term, only failing to secure top honours when fielding a heavily rotated XI at Shakhtar Donetsk when top spot was already secured. The hosts have W7-D1-L1 in group-stage outings here during their past three campaigns.

Unsurprisingly, the Citizens are skinny 1.20 favourites to extend that strong home record with Pep Guardiola's troops pocketing victories in all bar six matches at the Etihad since the start of last season. Twelve (40%) of their 30 fixtures in that sample were won by a margin of three goals or more.

Indeed, 17 (57%) of those matches on home soil were won by at least two goals and with City -2 on the Asian Handicap line available at 1.75, there could be mileage in backing the hosts to at least return a push. Backing the -2 Asian Handicap would see our stake returned should the Citizens win by exactly two.

Lyon 18.00 have struggled to find their best form in the early exchanges of Ligue 1 and have tended to do their best work at their Parc OL base in France. The visitors were beaten in three of their five trips to top-six teams last season and have returned just W1-D4-L3 when travelling to English sides.

Value in opposing four or more goals

With Manchester City expected to seal a cushy home success, the goals markets have naturally inflated. Therefore, Over 3.5 Goals is offered at an odds-on quote of 1.83 for Wednesday night's showdown, which isn't enormously appealing.

So instead, have a small stake on the Etihad encounter featuring fewer than four goals with Under 3.5 Goals backable at 2.14.

Only one of City's and Lyon's collective matches have surpassed that mark this season, and only three of the Citizens' 10 Champions League tussles last term would have seen this selection sunk, including none of their five outings here.

RECOMMENDED BETS

Back Manchester City -2 Asian Handicap @ 1.75 in Manchester City v Lyon 

Back Under 3.5 Goals @ 2.14 in Manchester City v Lyon