Football Bet of the Day: Coupe clash to catch the eye

Lyon v Lille
Tuesday 21 January, 20:10
Live on BT Sport ESPN

A shock in all ways in Italy last night. Not only did Atalanta lose at home to the bottom side SPAL, but they only scored one goal in a 2-1 defeat. To put that into context, they had scored 13 goals in their previous three home matches.

Scratching our heads, we move to France for a Coupe de la Ligue semi-final clash between top-flight heavyweights Lyon and Lille. Big cup matches can often be drab affairs, but I reckon tonight's showdown could be an exception.

Lyon have had a bit of a rollercoaster ride this term, but they have been on an upward curve of late, winning their last four matches across three competitions. In the Coupe de France at the weekend, 16-year-old wonderkid Rayan Cherki caught the eye, scoring twice in the first nine minutes of a 4-3 win at Nantes.

With attacking fulcrum Memphis Depay injured, Lyon have relied on others to fill the goalscoring void. Moussa Dembele has continued his excellent season, scoring in each of his last four matches. It's no surprise that OL released a statement recently that warned other clubs off trying to sign the striker this month.

Lille lost key players Thiago Mendes and Nicolas Pepe in the summer, but they are once again in the mix for Champions League qualification, and they comfortably avoided a cup upset at lower-league Gonfreville at the weekend. They have scored at least twice in five of their last seven matches.

There was only one goal when these teams met in the league in December, but I suspect this might be a little more lively. Seven of Lille's last 11 away games in all competitions have featured at least three goals, while five of Lyon's last seven games at the Groupama Stadium have seen an Over 2.5 Goals bet land.