Lens and Montpellier HSC will both be aiming to bounce back from recent defeats when they renew hostilities in Saturday evening's Ligue 1 battle.
Les Sang et Or went down 1-0 to Lille last week, their first loss of the season, while La Paillade suffered a 2-0 defeat to Monaco on matchday 10.
Match preview
© Reuters
It was a tale of two penalties as Lens suffered their first defeat of the 2022-23 season away to 2020-21 champions Lille last week, with Florian Sotoca seeing his spot kick kept out by Lucas Chevalier with just 15 minutes on the clock.
On the stroke of half time, it was Lille's turn to have a crack at goal from 12 yards after Benjamin Andre was felled in the area, and Jonathan David made no mistake with his penalty to hand Les Dogues all three points and bring Lens' unbeaten run to a bitter end.
It is no surprise to see Franck Haise's side mixing it with the big boys, as they have done since being promoted to the big time in 2020, and Les Sang et Or remain in a very healthy fourth place after 10 matches, picking up 21 points so far.
The gap to third-placed Marseille has been cut down to just two points after Les Olympiens suffered a shock defeat to Ajaccio last week, so Haise's side can break into the Champions League places with victory on Saturday before Igor Tudor's men meet Paris Saint-Germain in Le Classique 24 hours later.
Lens will certainly welcome a return to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, where they can boast a perfect record of five wins from five in the 2022-23 season - only Lorient also have their 100% home record intact - and not since March have Haise's side lost in front of their own supporters.
© Reuters
The morale within the Montpellier camp was not much better last weekend either, as Olivier Dall'Oglio's side lost for the fourth time in five Ligue 1 matches with a 2-0 defeat to Monaco at the Stade de la Mosson.
Breel Embolo's clever turn-and-finish gave Les Monegasques the lead on the cusp of half time, and Myron Boadu scored his first domestic goal of the season 10 minutes from time to get the job done in convincing fashion for Philippe Clement's side.
Despite their recent spate of losses and penchant for shipping goals, Montpellier lie smack-bang in the middle of the table in 10th position with 12 points - four clear of the four-team relegation zone but a hefty eight adrift of the European places.
If it were not for financial constraints, Dall'Oglio's job would allegedly be in more jeopardy than it currently is, and the 58-year-old has therefore been handed a golden ticket to reverse Montpellier's dire streak of form, which has seen them concede at a rate of two goals per game since the start of September.
Still the only side yet to draw a game in the current Ligue 1 campaign, Montpellier travel to Lens having lost eight of their last nine top-flight matches on the road - the outlier being that 7-0 thumping of Dall'Oglio's former club Brest - and their most recent trip to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in April ended in a 2-0 defeat.
Team News
© Reuters
Lens came through their defeat to Lille without any new concerns on the injury front, but Haise does not expect goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez to play again this season after the Venezuela international ruptured his ACL over the summer.
Jonathan Gradit remains out with a collarbone injury, although he is aiming to be back before the World Cup begins next month, so Facundo Medina and Kevin Danso should be joined by Massadio Haidara at the back once again.
Haise should hold off on making significant changes following the hosts' first loss of the season, but Przemyslaw Frankowski and Wesley Said are pushing for inclusion from the first whistle.
Meanwhile, Montpellier have lost midfield mainstay Jordan Ferri to suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards, which has opened the door for Leo Leroy or Khalil Fayad to deputise in the middle, unless Teji Savanier is dropped into a deeper role.
Dimitry Bertaud and Theo Sainte-Luce remain out for the long-term with their ACL injuries, while Mamadou Sakho is still doubtful with a calf problem - the same can be said for Pedro Mendes and his muscular issue.
Should Savanier form the double pivot with Joris Chotard this week, Wahbi Khazri would most likely come back in to act as the creative hub, but Dall'Oglio may avoid such a risky solution against their high-flying hosts.
Lens possible starting lineup:
Samba; Danso, Medina, Haidara; Frankowski, Abdul Samed, Fofana, Machado; Costa, Sotoca; Openda
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Omlin; Sacko, Julien, Esteve, Cozza; Leroy, Chotard; Nordin, Savanier, Mavididi; Wahi
We say: Lens 3-1 Montpellier HSC
Facing a leaky Montpellier side is just what the doctor ordered for Lens to get back to winning ways, as Dall'Oglio just cannot find the right defensive formula for his side, and the absence of Ferri should certainly be felt.
A team led by Dall'Oglio is always capable of threatening in the final third, but Lens have very few blots on the notebook from their home endeavours so far and should maintain their perfect winning record at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis to get back on track.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
