As Lyon prepares to host Juventus in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, the club is enjoying a fine run of form, collecting nine wins, four draws and two losses since the middle of December. A poor start to the season saw the French side stumble in Ligue 1 and barely secure a Champions League knockout spot thanks to the heroics of Memphis Depay, but the side is starting to gather results and climb towards the top of the league.
Meanwhile, Juventus, while suffering a couple of difficult away losses, is starting to regain health. The timing couldn’t be better with the Champions League and Serie A title races heating up. As we’ve come to expect this time of year, Cristiano Ronaldo is also heating up, tying the Serie A record for most consecutive matches with a goal (11).
In this tactical analysis, we’ll look at the common tactic that can help Lyon and Juventus break down the opponent and create goal-scoring opportunities. An analysis of why Lyon should get numbers behind the ball and counter includes an account of the vulnerable areas of the Juventus defence. Finally, we’ll close with a closer look at the role of Paulo Dybala.
Projected lineups
Over the weekend, Rudi Garcia experimented with a 1-3-4-3 against Metz. If you believe the rumours, the change of formation was used as a means of preparing the side for the Juventus match. Unless Garcia used the formation as a decoy, expect Anthony Lopes in goal with a back three consisting of Fernando Marçal, Marcelo and Jason Denayer. The right-wing will likely be more defensive with Léo Dubois while the left is more attack-oriented featuring Maxwel Cornet. In the middle, you should see Houssem Aouar paired with the more defensive-minded Lucas Tousart. On the forward line, watch for Villarreal transfer Karl Toko Ekambi to start on the right, leading goal-scorer Moussa Dembele in the middle and youngster Martin Terrier on the left. Another option is to start recent transfer Bruno Guimarães in the middle, moving Aouar to left-midfield and Cornet to left-forward. That would offer a more defensive centre of the pitch with more reliable attacking production on the left.
Maurizio Sarri is dealing with several significant injuries. Fortunately for him, this is a fairly deep squad. If Gonzalo Higuaín is unable to start, expect a 1-4-3-3 with Wojciech Szczęsny in goal, Alex Sandro at left-back, Danilo at left-back and the pairing of Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt in the middle. Moving to the midfield, the big question mark is Miralem Pjanić. If he’s unable to play, expect Rodrigo Bentancur to operate as the deepest midfielder flanked by Aaron Ramsey and Blaise Matuidi. Up top, Dybala would operate in a false nine role with Ronaldo to his left and Juan Cuadrado to his right. If Higuaín is able to start, Cuadrado could move to right-back, Higuaín and Ronaldo playing forward and Dybala playing as a trequartista. The final injury storyline worth mentioning is the health of Giorgio Chiellini. The skipper started last weekend against SPAL and played 55 minutes. Though he’s unlikely to start, he figures to reclaim a starting role in the near future.
