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Lille
Europa League | Group Stage
Oct 29, 2020 at 5.55pm UK
Stade Pierre-Mauroy
Celtic logo

Lille
2 - 2
Celtic

Celik (67'), Ikone (75')
Andre (41')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Elyounoussi (28', 33')
Ntcham (22'), Bain (52'), Ajeti (64'), Laxalt (73'), Elyounoussi (84')

Preview: Lille vs. Celtic - prediction, team news, lineups

Sport Mole previews Thursday's Europa League clash between Lille and Celtic, including predictions, team news and possible starting lineups.

Lille will be hoping to continue their positive start in the Europa League, having beaten Sparta Prague 4-1 in their opening match, when they welcome Celtic to France on Thursday evening.

Celtic, on the other hand, will be determined to bounce back from their 3-1 loss against AC Milan, with the Scottish team enduring a tough defeat in their first game of the campaign.


Match preview

Lille coach Christophe Galtier pictured on November 5, 2019© Reuters

Lille's convincing win at the Generali Arena means they currently sit at the top of Group H, with the French team able to take advantage of an early sending-off for Sparta's key defender Ladislav Krejci.

In Ligue 1, Los Dogues have been in fantastic form - currently sitting in second place, with only goal difference separating them and current leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

In fact, they are the only team to remain unbeaten in the French division this campaign, claiming five wins and three draws so far.

Their previous league match resulted in a 1-1 draw away at Nice, with the visitors able to claim a point after going 1-0 down in the early stages of the second half.

Lille have been solid in both attack and defence this season - scoring 17 goals in all competitions, while registering five clean sheets.

AC Milan's Diogo Dalot in action with Celtic's Albian Ajeti in the Europa League on October 22, 2020© Reuters

Meanwhile, Celtic have got their Europa League campaign off to a poor start, and will be disappointed to have registered a loss against AC Milan.

After going 2-0 down before half time, a strong header by Mohamed Elyounoussi in the 76th minute gave the hosts hope to find the equaliser.

However, a late goal by Jens Petter Hauge in extra time meant they were unable to grab a single point from their first group game, with Neil Lennon's side currently sitting third in group H.

Despite also claiming second place in their domestic league table, Celtic have been underwhelming against fierce rivals Rangers this season.

Although the Hoops have a game in hand, they are six points behind the current leaders, with Lennon's side under pressure of retaining the title for the tenth time in a row.

Celtic's previous league game ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw against Aberdeen as the Dons scored a penalty in extra time, preventing the Glaswegian side from gaining the full three points.

Lille Europa League form: W
Lille form (all competitions): DWWWWD

Celtic Europa League form: L
Celtic form (all competitions): DLLWWW


Team News

Lille coach Christophe Galtier before the match in August 2019© Reuters

Christophe Galtier could field a similar side to the one which beat Sparta Prague last week, with the French manager hoping to rest some key players for their upcoming game against Lyon at the weekend.

Yusuf Yazici will be expecting to make the starting XI on Thursday, following his impressive display in their previous Europa League match, scoring a hat-trick against Sparta Prague.

Burak Yilmaz should also get the nod, with Lille's free transfer in excellent form since joining the French side - netting four times since his arrival.

Meanwhile, Celtic may have some problems as they head into Thursday's clash against Lille, after a set of players tested positive for COVID-19 while on international duty.

Lennon is still without Hatem Abd Elhamed, however both Odsonne Edouard and Nir Bitton should be available for the game, providing a much-needed boost for the Northern Irish coach.

The Celtic manager also admitted that it will be a few weeks until we see James Forrest back in the squad, with the winger expected to return in early November.

Lille possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Pied, Fonte, Botman, Bradaric; Yazici, Xeka, Soumare, Bamba; Yilmaz, Ikone

Celtic possible starting lineup:
Barkas; Welsh, Bitton, Ajer; Frimpong, Ntcham, Brown, McGregor, Laxalt; Ajeti, Edouard


SM words green background

We say: Lille 2-1 Celtic

Celtic will be hoping to bounce back from a tough couple of weeks, however it will be difficult against a dominant Lille side, who have excelled at both ends of the pitch. Lille's impressive defensive record, in particular, will prove difficult against the visitors - with the Hoops highly unlikely to get more than one goal past Los Dogues.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals 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.Under 3.5:data


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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 Lille win with a probability of 44.85%. A win for Celtic had a probability of 32.37% and a draw had a probability of 22.8%.

The most likely scoreline for a Lille win was 2-1 with a probability of 8.96%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-0 (6.64%) and 2-0 (5.97%). The likeliest Celtic win was 1-2 (7.48%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (9.96%). The actual scoreline of 2-2 was predicted with a 6.7% likelihood.


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Game History

Who will win Thursday's Europa League clash between Lille and Celtic?

Lille
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Draw
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Celtic
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Rangers defender Connor Goldson celebrates scoring against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership on October 17, 2020
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