The rivalry of Olympique Lyonnais and Saint-Etienne has been going on for more than 70 years. It’s not just a football fixture, but a duel of two cities separated by 50 kilometres of road and a difference in class. While Lyon is mostly a white-collar place, Saint-Etienne is more of a working man’s city. More than enough for a fierce rivalry between their football clubs.”Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most hated club in France?”In 2017, AS Saint-Étienne turned to an unusual source of inspiration for this tifo highlighting their dislike for their long-term rival, Olympique Lyonnais.#asse #saintettiene #lyon #OL pic.twitter.com/EeR9GP4TOO— Through The Turnstiles (@tt_turnstiles) October 20, 2020 OL and ASSE, as their names are often abbreviated in France, both have rich traditions in winning. Long before Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain developed their hatred-fuelled rivalry, there was the clash of the Lyon gentlemen and Saint-Etienne’s workers in the French championship. While ASSE won ten titles between 1957 and 1981, OL strung seven Ligue 1 crowns in a row between 2002 and 2008. But that’s all in the past. Today, the only question is – which of these two teams will be less incompetent over 90 minutes!Lyon are currently 11th in the table after ending their five-match winless run last week at Troyes. However, there’s been a few encouraging moments during that barren spell. Les Lyonnais were on the verge of beating PSG two weeks ago, but were thwarted by a late equalizer. But whichever way you look at it, their form this season has been way below expectations. Their goal was a top-four finish and qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League – the kind of result that seems beyond the reach of Peter Bosz’s side in late January.##EDITORS_CHOICE##And if Lyon fans feel bad about their team, they only have to take a look at their rivals’ fortunes. Saint-Etienne, one of France’s best-supported clubs are bottom of the table with six losses in their last six games. Not even the arrival of the alleged “survival specialist” coach Pascal Dupraz made the Greens turn the corner and start putting some much-needed points on the board. Last week, they were ahead against RC Lens for a long time, but they conceded two late goals and found themselves empty-handed yet again.Lyon fans want their players to show no sympathy for the Greens’ problems. They put up a big banner for their players to see during their training session. The banner says: “Derby: They are in agony… FINISH THEM!”Tic Tac… le 124e derby OL/ASSE, le 11e face au 20e, se profile… Avant la conférence de presse à suivre sur @RMCsport et avec des extraits sur @BFMLyon @ElodiePoyade @leo_chapuis, le message des supporters @OL sonne clairement #OLASSE @Gwen_WB @hugoelfrances pic.twitter.com/vXKhJ3HFt9— JAY EDWARD (@EDWARDJAY73) January 19, 2022 There have been 40 meetings between Lyon and Saint-Etienne. The hosts have won 23 of those games, while the visitors have won just six times. There have been 11 draws between the two sides. The two teams last faced off in a Ligue 1 game earlier this season. The game ended 1-1.Derby games are always a great chance to change your team’s fortunes with a win that would energize the fanbase and give them something to cheer about. And heaven knows both of these teams could do with some positivity.Angaza na ODDS kubwa zaidi duniani.Fanya Uamuzi!Tovuti 👉 https://t.co/aSqVztqOgu pic.twitter.com/PF6NluAFao— Mozzart Bet Kenya (@mozzartbetkenya) January 21, 2022 Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Sinaly Diomande, Jason Denayer, Marcelo and Lenny Pintor are all injured and will miss Friday’s game for Lyon, while Islam Slimani, Karl Toko Ekambi and Tino Kadewere are all away at AFCON.The visitors will be without their African contingent of Harold Moukoudi, Saidou Sow, Yvan Neyou, Wahbi Khazri, Denis Bouanga and Ignacio Ramirez, but also without the injured Etienne Green and Romain Hamouma.LIGUE 1 – ROUND 22Friday23:00: (1.45) Olympique Lyon (4.80) Saint-Etienne (7.75)Saturday19:00: (3.45) Brest (3.40) Lille (2.25)23:00: (2.65) Lens (3.25) Olympique Marseille (2.90)Sunday15:00: (5.40) Metz (3.70) Nice (1.75)17:00: (2.20) Angers (3.15) Troyes (3.90)17:00: (4.40) Clermont (3.60) Rennes (1.90)17:00: (4.00) Bordeaux (3.60) Strasbourg (2.00)17:00: (2.25) Nantes (3.15) Lorient (3.80)19:05: (3.80) Montpellier (3.50) Monaco (2.10)22:45: (1.25) PSG (6.75) Reims (13.0)****odds are subject to change
