After capturing their first victory of the Ligue 1 campaign last weekend, Strasbourg have a chance to end a lengthy winless run versus Lille, who they face on Friday at Stade de la Meinau.
The Alsatians were able to hang onto a 3-2 victory on the road versus Angers on Sunday, while Les Dogues defeated Lens by a 1-0 score.
Match preview
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It took 10 games, but at long last Strasbourg have triumphed domestically, scoring multiple goals last weekend for the first time all season.
Their nine-match winless run to begin this Ligue 1 campaign was just the fourth time in their entire top-flight history that they had started a campaign so poorly.
Even though they are currently above the relegation line, leading Angers on goal difference, a defeat this week could drop them down to the bottom of the table, with Brest trailing them by just two points.
Manager Julien Stephan has lost more Ligue 1 games against Lille than any other side in the French top flight, while Strasbourg are winless in nine consecutive domestic affairs against them, with their last triumph coming at home in 2017-18 (3-0).
In 2021-22, this team only lost three home fixtures in this competition, but they have already dropped two contests at Stade de la Meinau this season, falling 3-1 versus Rennes in their previous home game at the beginning of this month.
After 10 matches this season, they have scored the third-fewest goals in the league (10), despite being among the highest-scoring teams for a good portion of the previous campaign.
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On Friday, Lille have an opportunity to do something they have not done since February-March of last season, win consecutive Ligue 1 fixtures.
Paulo Fonseca has seen his side alternate between a win and a loss in each of their previous eight domestic affairs, emerging victorious against Lens on Sunday (1-0) for a second straight triumph at home.
That victory was the first time in their last seven home contests that Les Nordistes did not concede at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, and they have not collected a clean sheet on the road in this competition since beating Nantes 1-0 in March of last season.
They have narrowly dropped their last two away fixtures in Ligue 1, losing 2-1 against Marseille and conceding an 87th-minute strike at Lorient, falling by that same score.
Six of their 18 goals scored so far in this competition have come within the opening 20 minutes, while eight of their strikes have occurred in the second half.
For a second successive campaign, Lille have lost four of their opening 10 league fixtures after suffering three defeats or fewer at this stage of their three previous domestic seasons before that.
Team News
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Gerzino Nyamsi missed the previous encounter for Strasbourg because of a red card suspension as Lucas Perrin took his place against Angers, while Thomas Delaine was inserted in the midfield to start that match instead of their captain Dimitri Lienard.
Their top goalscorer in the 2021-22 domestic campaign, Ludovic Ajorque, is nursing a chest injury, Lebo Mothiba has a sore thigh and Nordine Kandil continues to deal with a problem in his foot.
Lucas Chevalier collected his first clean sheet of the season for Lille last weekend, stopping three shots in their victory, as Jonathan David scored for a third successive league fixture.
We saw one new face in the opening lineup for Lille against Lens from the side that began the match versus Lorient as Andre Gomes replaced Jonas Martin in the midfield, while Fonseca will need to make some changes on Friday as Angel Gomes and Bafode Diakite will be suspended having each received another caution on Sunday.
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Sels; Le Marchand, Perrin, Djiku; Delaine, Bellegarde, Prcic, Diarra, Thomasson; Diallo, Gameiro
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Gudmundsson, Fonte, Djalo, Ismaily; Andre, Martin; Ounas, Cabella, Bamba; David
We say: Strasbourg 1-1 Lille
Without the towering presence of Ajorque, Strasbourg do not look nearly as intimidating in the attack, but they have fared well defensively at times this year, conceding a goal or fewer in three home fixtures.
Les Dogues are putting a lot on the shoulders of Jonathan David at the moment, and the Canadian has delivered, but we expect him to get more attention than any Lille player in this encounter, so his scoring chances could diminish.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
