MX23RW : Tuesday, November 5 04:30:37| >> :600:115849:115849:
[monks data]
Lens logo
Ligue 1 | Gameweek 2
Aug 15, 2021 at 4pm UK
Stade Bollaert-Delelis
Saint-Etienne

Lens
2 - 2
St Etienne

Ganago (36'), Fofana (77')
Medina (18')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Khazri (1'), Bouanga (52')
Hamouma (29'), Sow (41'), Bouanga (57'), Gourna-Douath (85'), Macon (86'), Aouchiche (90+4')

Preview: Lens vs. Saint-Etienne - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Ligue 1 clash between Lens and Saint-Etienne, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Lens play host to Saint-Etienne on Sunday afternoon looking to build on their opening-day draw at Ligue 1 rivals Rennes.

Meanwhile, Saint-Etienne are coming off the back of a comeback draw with Lorient, leading to calls for improvement ahead of their visit to Estadio Bollaert-Delelis.


Match preview

Lens head coach Franck Haise pictured in October 2020© Reuters

Having narrowly missed out on qualification for the UEFA Conference League last season, Lens head into this campaign feeling a mixture of disappointment and extra motivation.

Franck Haise's squad, competing in their first season back in the French top flight, probably deserved to end the season in the top six, but a poor finish ultimately proved pivotal.

On the plus side, there is renewed optimism going forward, particularly having won the race to sign Austrian centre-back Kevin Danso and secured a permanent deal for Gael Kakuta.

While it was Seko Fofana who got on the scoresheet at Rennes, Danso and Kakuta could make or break whether Lens are able to enjoy another year competing at the right end of the table.

Saint-Etienne manager Claude Puel pictured in February 2021© Reuters

As far as Saint-Etienne are concerned, there will be those who feel that Claude Puel is fortunate to still be in the dugout after just 24 wins from 71 matches.

However, the club's board have opted for stability over change as they bid to at least match their 11th position from the previous campaign.

Being held to a 1-1 draw by Lorient was not the ideal start for a team who must square off against champions Lille and Marseille before the end of the month.

Nevertheless, with Paris Saint-Germain the only side to net more than twice against them in nine competitive games, the foundations are there if Saint-Etienne can rediscover their touch in the final third.

Puel has witnessed his players fail to score from open play for seven halves of football in succession.

Lens Ligue 1 form:
  • D

Saint-Etienne Ligue 1 form:
  • D



Team News

After posting a respectable point at Rennes, Haise could stick with the same Lens XI for this contest.

However, he made full use of his substitutes with Florian Sotoca and Przemyslaw Frankowski both in contention for a recall.

Puel is expected to make at least one alteration to his Saint-Etienne with Romain Hamouna in line for an outing in the final third.

Arnaud Nordin, fresh off his appearances at the Olympics, could also feature on the right-hand side of midfield.

Lens possible starting lineup:
Leca; Fortes, Wooh, Boura; Clauss, Doucoure, Fofana, Machado; Kakuta; Banza, Ganago

Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Green; Macon, Moukoudi, Nade, Kolodziejczak; Nordin, Camara, Youssouf, Bouanga; Khazri; Hamouna


SM words green background

We say: Lens 2-1 Saint-Etienne

Both teams have ambitions of challenging for European qualification this season, upping the stakes even at this early stages of the campaign. While Saint-Etienne are well equipped to claim a share of the spoils, we are backing Lens to battle their way to a narrow win.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a double chance bet on a home win or an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home/Away:data



ID:459187:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6153:

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 41.51%. A win for Saint-Etienne had a probability of 31.63% and a draw had a probability of 26.9%.

The most likely scoreline for a Lens win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.15%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.61%) and 2-0 (7.53%). The likeliest Saint-Etienne win was 0-1 (9.44%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.75%). The actual scoreline of 2-2 was predicted with a 4.9% likelihood.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Lens vs St Etienne

Lens
72.7%
Draw
9.1%
Saint-Etienne
18.2%
33
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring against Barcelona in the Champions League on March 10, 2021
Read Next:
Sports Mole's Ligue 1 Team of the Season - Mbappe, Depay, Yilmaz
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1.15am
Buccaneers
@
Chiefs
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Paris Saint-GermainPSG108202982126
2Marseille1062223121120
3MonacoMonaco10622157820
4Lille10532169718
5Nice104421991016
6Lyon104331715215
7Lens1035297214
8Reims104241615114
9StrasbourgStrasbourg103431919013
10Auxerre104151718-113
11Brest104151316-313
12Toulouse103341111012
13Rennes103251316-311
14NantesNantes102441214-210
15Angers102441116-510
16Saint-EtienneSt Etienne103161024-1410
17Le HavreLe Havre10307820-129
18Montpellier HSCMontpellier10118830-224


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!