Bordeaux will try to end their difficult start to the season on Sunday when they play Lens as they continue to search for a first victory of the campaign.
The visitors find themselves in sixth place right now and have made an unbeaten start so far, having not lost in their previous seven games.
Match preview
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It has proven to be a start to forget for Bordeaux, who have been out of sorts in the opening four games of the season, which has seen them slump to 19th in Ligue 1.
Only newcomers Troyes have fewer points than them, with Les Girondins having failed to secure a win so far, with just two points to their name from a possible 12.
Vladimir Petkovic will be hoping that the international break was exactly what his squad needed in order to kickstart their season after he has witnessed his team leak in nine goals already.
Their last outing saw them suffer a heavy 4-0 loss against Nice, with the game being over by half time after a trio of goals before the whistle went for the break put the match to bed.
It was a disappointing defeat, especially after consecutive draws against Marseille and Angers had seemingly hinted at slight improvements for Bordeaux.
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However, the season has been different for their opponents, who have started the 2021-22 campaign with plenty of confidence as they have put together an unbeaten run of seven games, which stretches into pre-season.
Lens have actually only won a single Ligue 1 game so far, which came in a 2-0 victory against Monaco, but they are yet to lose, with a trio of draws rounding out their opening four fixtures.
Defensively, Franck Haise's men have not been the strongest, having only kept one clean sheet all season, which is something they will be seeking to improve in order to turn their results into wins.
However, they have proven their ability to fight for results, having come from behind in all three of their draws so far this season in order to earn a point.
After finishing in seventh last season in Ligue 1, Lens will certainly believe they have the ability to go one step further this time around, and their positive start to the season has proven that.
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Team News
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Josh Maja was unavailable to Bordeaux during their recent fixture against Nice after he suffered a back problem, but the international break could have provided him enough time to make a return to the starting XI.
However, Petkovic will still be without both Loris Benito and Paul Baysse who are suffering from long-term injuries, which will continue to test the squad depth.
There could be the chance for Alberth Elis to make his debut for the club though after he joined on loan from Boavista, bolstering the attacking options.
Christopher Wooh was able to return to the bench for Lens against Lorient, and Sunday's fixture could see him make the step up to the starting XI as he is fit again.
Goals from Jonathan Clauss and Seko Fofana in their previous game should also see both of them retain their places in the midfield as they look to build on their momentum.
Bordeaux possible starting lineup:
Costil; Oudin, Kwateng, Koscielny, Mangas, Mensah; Otavio, Sissokho, Fransergio; Elis, Mara
Lens possible starting lineup:
Leca; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Clauss, Fofana, Cahuzac, Frankowski; Kakuta, Sotoca, Ganago
We say: Bordeaux 0-1 Lens
Bordeaux have made a miserable start to the season and they are desperate for points, but competing against Lens is not going to be a simple task.
The visitors have plenty of confidence right now and have proven they are willing to fight for every single point that is available to them.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Lens win with a probability of 41.4%. A win for Bordeaux had a probability of 30.76% and a draw had a probability of 27.8%.
The most likely scoreline for a Lens win was 0-1 with a probability of 12.28%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.37%) and 0-2 (7.87%). The likeliest Bordeaux win was 1-0 (10.19%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.06%). The actual scoreline of 2-3 was predicted with a 1.9% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Lens would win this match.
