Alright there, buckle up, because we're about to dive into the Olympique Lyonnais versus Nantes matchup.
Looking at the goalkeepers, we've got Alban Lafont on the Nantes side with a 6.47 rating and 3 saves. Seems like a decent chap, but we have on the opposite side Lucas Perri from Olympique Lyonnais boasting a 6.80 rating and 8 saves. More saves, better rating, plus his beard is absolutely spectacular.
Moving onto top players, Nantes' lineup includes the likes of Johann Lepenant with a pleasing 7.57 rating along with 2 goals, 2 shots on goal and 86.0 accurate pass %. He's backed up by his crew Moses Simon and Nathan Zeze holding down the fort. I mean, "Zeze"? Can we talk about how fun that is to say?
On the other hand, Olympique Lyonnais boasts some big names as well. Moussa Niakhaté with 7.60 rating? Alright! But again, no goals? What's he spending his time on, Sudoku? Anyhow, Corentin Tolisso and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are also there holding the fort and bringing the heat, albeit without goals.
We all know history tends to repeat itself. When you look at the past faceoffs between Nantes and Olympique Lyonnais, the boys from Lyonnais have contained Nantes like an overly keen babysitter, with 2 wins and 2 draws.
This season, their performance is a bit like a seesaw at the park - Lyonnais 2-1-3, Nantes 2-3-1. Decent, I suppose, but not exactly top-of-the-charts boy band material. But let's not forget Nantes has been holding their ground, standing strong with recent draws against Saint-Étienne and Angers. Lyonnais, however, finally found their groove against Toulouse, pulling off a 2-1 victory.
When it all comes down to it, this match reminds me of the time I tried to learn the guitar. It was a disastrous mess at first, but then after a few tries, I nailed a few chords. Following this strange analogy, I'm leaning towards Olympique Lyonnais here. They've got the history, a goalkeeper who probably moonlights as a lumberjack, and a recent win under their belts.
Albert's Prediction: Olympique Lyonnais by 1