Champions League Group D preview: Lyon search for goals – and a favour

Ajax are in the box seat to go through from Champions League Group D, but Lyon are still an outside chance to progress.

With Real Madrid having already secured top spot in the group, Ajax are three points ahead of Lyon in the fight for second place, with the Eredivisie team hosting Real Madrid and Lyon visiting Dinamo Zagreb in the final round of fixtures.

Ajax and Lyon have drawn both their previous matches 0-0, and the Dutch side are seven goals better off than their French opponents.

That means Lyon must win handily in Zagreb, while hoping Real Madrid crush Ajax to such an extent that their goal differential can be overhauled.

In Lyon’s favour is the fact Real have been in menacing form in front of goal recently, scoring 23 goals from their past five matches.

Jose Mourinho’s side are also chasing history of a sort on Wednesday, needing to win their final match to become just the fifth team to go through a group stage without dropping a point.

Mourinho seems set to hand starlet Jese Rodriguez his competitive first-team debut, with the 18-year-old included in the squad for the clash at Amsterdam ArenA.

Ajax boss Frank de Boer could be without playmaker Ismail Aissati, who came off during their 4-1 win over Excelsior on Saturday with an ankle problem.

Gregory van der Wiel is nursing a slight groin complaint, but Kenneth Vermeer should be available to start for the Dutch giants.

Kaka, who missed over a month of football for Real with a calf problem, could be ready for more game time after coming on as a late substitute in their 3-0 win over Sporting Gijon on Saturday.

Lyon coach Remi Garde could be missing centre back Dejan Lovren for the trip to Zagreb, with the Croatian injuring a thigh in the warm-up for his team’s 3-2 win over Toulouse on Sunday.