Two teams eyeing up European football next season square off in Ligue 1 this weekend as Lille host Lens in the Derby du Nord on Sunday evening.
The hosts are currently occupying sixth spot in the standings, while the visitors are five points behind them in eighth position.
Match preview
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March has been a disappointing month for the hosts, following their elimination from the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund and defeats against both Paris Saint-Germain and Nantes in Ligue 1.
Indeed, their only win throughout the month was a 1-0 triumph at home to rock-bottom Montpellier on March 8.
However, they can get back on track this weekend with a win in the derby against Lens, one of the sides that are chasing them down in a tight race for European football next season.
Having tasted Champions League football this term, Lille will be eager to return to Europe's biggest stage once again next season, and with eight games remaining, they are firmly in the mix.
With PSG currently 19 points clear at the top of the table, the title race in France is all but mathematically over.
Below the league leaders is where it gets interesting, though, as just six points separate Marseille in second and Strasbourg down in seventh.
While two defeats in their last three league games have certainly hurt Lille's chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season, they will be looking to lean on their excellent home record once again at the weekend.
The hosts have only lost twice on home soil in the league all season, and they have won seven of their last 10 league matches in front of their own fans.
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This weekend will be a difficult test for them, however, as Lens are the third-best team on the road so far this season, with 22 of their 39 points being gained on their travels.
The visitors experienced Champions League football themselves last season, but their European hopes were dashed early on in this campaign, with defeat to Panathinaikos in the qualification playoff in the Conference League back in August.
A loss this weekend would make reaching Europe next season very difficult, as the hosts would move eight points clear of Lens with a victory.
However, a win for the visitors this weekend would throw them into the mix for some form of European football next season and help to narrow the gap to Lille to just two points.
Both sides have their excellent defensive records to thank for their league position, with Lille currently owning the second-strongest defensive record in the division, having conceded 28 goals in 26 matches.
Right behind them are Lens, with Will Still's men having only shipped one more goal in the same number of games this season.
After a four-game losing streak from February 8 until March 1 threatened to derail their season, Lens bounced back with two impressive wins in a row.
A 1-0 win away to Marseille was followed up by a victory by the same scoreline against Rennes a week later, as Les Sang et Or went into the international break on a high.
The visitors will be looking for revenge this weekend, as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Les Dogues in the last meeting between the two sides back in October.
Two stoppage-time goals from Jonathan David and Mohamed Bayo secured the win for Lille that day in a dramatic conclusion to the game.
Team News
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The hosts will be without Alexsandro due to suspension, so Aissa Mandi is expected to start in a central role in his absence.
Tiago Santos (ACL) is out for the rest of the campaign, while Thomas Meunier (foot), Osame Sahraoui (hip), Samuel Umtiti (knee) and Edon Zhegrova (groin) all doubts for the derby.
Ethan Mbappe could be in contention to make the squad this weekend, having missed the defeat to Nantes earlier this month due to illness.
Meanwhile, Lens have a few injury concerns ahead of this match, with Denis Petric (back), Martin Satriano (ACL) and Jhoanner Chavez long-term absentees for Still's side.
Elsewhere, Remy Labeau Lascary (knee) is also a doubt for the visitors for this weekend's clash.
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Gudmundsson, Mandi, Diakite, Meunier; And.Gomes, Andre, Sahraoui, Haraldsson, Bakker; David
Lens possible starting lineup:
Ryan; Machado, Medina, Bah, Gradit, Aguilar; Mendy, El Aynaoui, Agbonifo; Sotoca, Said
We say: Lille 1-2 Lens
Derby matches are often tough to predict, and Lens have picked up a couple of good results in recent weeks.
Form can go out the window with local pride at stake, but we think that Lens will win this game and narrow the gap between the two clubs in the standings.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Tom Humphrey
