Having got off to a losing start in the Lyon hotseat, Fabio Grosso will aim to rectify last weekend's mistakes when Les Gones face Reims at the Stade Auguste-Delaune on Sunday lunchtime.

The visitors fell to a 1-0 defeat to early high-flyers Brest last weekend, while Will Still's men came away from Lille with a 2-1 victory to their name on Tuesday.

Match preview

At the third time of trying, Reims belatedly clinched a precious three points in the month of September, having entered the international break on the back of a 2-2 draw with Metz prior to a 2-1 home beating at the hands of a red-hot Brest outfit two weekends ago.

A quick stopover at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy to face Lille saw Mohamed Daramy and Keito Nakamura breach Les Dogues' defence within four minutes of one another - the latter of whom finished off a beautiful passing move - before Benjamin Andre's 79th-minute header set up a tense finale.

Reims goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf was caught in no man's land as the Lille skipper nodded home, but the hosts could not claw their way back into the contest in the short time that remained, as Still's men reverted to type to continue their early assault on the European places.

With 10 points to their name at this embryonic stage, Les Rouges et Blancs are sitting pretty in fifth place in the table - only three points worse off than current leaders Brest - and Still's men are yet to be shut out in any of their six Ligue 1 fixtures so far this term.

With attacking proficiency comes defensive deficiencies, though, as Reims have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four top-flight contests and have actually only won two of their last eight fixtures at the Stade Auguste-Delaune, offering Grosso some hope of a maiden managerial success with Les Gones.

A trip to Brest would not normally be considered a baptism of fire, but with Les Pirates leading the way at the summit while Lyon languish in the cellar, Grosso's men arguably headed to the Stade Francis Le-Ble as the underdogs last weekend.

Following the acrimonious departure of Laurent Blanc and hastened managerial search - which saw links with Graham Potter and Gennaro Gattuso lead to nowhere - Les Gones tempted Grosso back to the club he made 75 appearances for as a player, after the World Cup-winning defender achieved Serie B glory with Frosinone last season.

However, seconds after seeing one header blocked from a Kenny Lala cross, the same combination saw Steven Mounie nod home the decisive goal with 87 minutes gone, condemning Lyon to their worst start to a campaign since the 1979-80 season, when they only avoided relegation via the playoffs.

A similar story could befall the seven-time champions should Grosso fail to inspire a revival, as the 17th-placed visitors have only out-performed Clermont this term and also find themselves two points worse off than an ailing Lens, whose current 16th-placed ranking would see them try to salvage survival in the playoffs.

The division's worst attacking outfit - who have only scored a meagre three goals this season and just one in their last four contests - now travel to a ground where they have not won since 2015, but each of their last four trips to the Stade Auguste-Delaune has ended level, and Les Gones thumped Reims 3-0 at home in the penultimate weekend of the 2022-23 season.

Team News

While Lille's cause last weekend was not helped by a pair of early injuries, Reims came out of the victory unscathed on the physical front, but Manchester City loanee Josh Wilson-Esbrand seems set to miss out owing to his ankle injury.

Right-back Maxime Busi is also dealing with a hamstring strain, but Thomas Foket would not be expected to cede his place in the XI either way, and Still should see no need to alter his side's winning formula from last weekend.

Midfielder Marshall Munetsi was the playmaking powerhouse at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, setting up both of Daramy and Nakamura's goals to prolong his eye-catching start to the season, having now come up with a goal and three assists in his side's first six fixtures.

Meanwhile, Lyon's attacking quandary will not be helped by the absence of captain and last season's top scorer Alexandre Lacazette, who has been cautioned three times this season already and will serve a one-match ban this weekend.

In Lacazette's absence, either Mama Balde or Tino Kadewere should operate at the tip of the attack for the visitors, who are also coping without defensive duo Henrique (muscle) and Dejan Lovren (thigh) for the time being.

Still yet to directly contribute to a goal this term, Rayan Cherki was dropped to the bench for last weekend's loss to Brest, but the 20-year-old will likely be under consideration for a recall to the first XI here.

Reims possible starting lineup:
Diouf; Foket, Okumu, Abdelhamid, De Smet; Teuma, Matusiwa, Munetsi; Ito, Daramy, Nakamura

Lyon possible starting lineup:
Lopes; Kumbedi, Mata, Diomande, Tagliafico; Caqueret, Maitland-Niles, Tolisso; Cherki, Kadewere, Moreira

We say: Reims 2-0 Lyon

Already failing to make their presence felt in the final third, the loss of Lacazette - even though the Gones skipper has netted just once this season - will only harm Grosso's chances of a first Lyon victory further.

A lack of consistency has bedevilled Reims at home, but Still's exciting crop are well-versed in taking their chances and can prolong the visitors' misery with a fourth triumph of the season.


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