Lille will seek to return to Ligue 1's top four when they welcome bottom-of-the-table Montpellier HSC to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Saturday.
This fixture comes between Lille's two-legged Champions League last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund, but returning to that competition next season is just as important at present.
Match preview
© Imago
After a heavy defeat to leaders Paris Saint-Germain, paired with Monaco's win over Reims, Lille dropped out of the top four again last weekend, only a week after moving into it.
Spirits were raised again in midweek though, when Bruno Genesio's side earned an unlikely draw at the Westfalenstadion against Dortmund on Tuesday, thanks to Hakon Arnar Haraldsson's equaliser.
That provides Lille with a huge chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time in their history ahead of the home leg on Wednesday, where Les Dogues have been impressive this season.
Form in Ligue 1 has faltered slightly of late though, threatening their chances of playing in the competition again next season.
Three defeats in their last six league games is more than Genesio's men suffered in their first 18 matches of the campaign (two), dropping to fifth, two points behind Monaco, and five adrift of Nice.
One stat should provide much encouragement though, and that is the fact Lille have scored in 37 straight home matches in Ligue 1, dating back to February 2023 - the longest streak in Europe's top-five leagues.
Lille's recent record against Montpellier also makes for pleasant reading from a home perspective, because they are unbeaten in 13 head-to-heads, LOSC's best-ever streak in this fixture.
© Imago
There is no question the hosts will enter as huge favourites, especially considering the fact Montpellier have lost five in a row - the joint-longest run in Ligue 1 - scoring just one goal in process.
This is the club's longest losing run in over two decades, and it was extended courtesy of a 4-0 thrashing at home by Rennes last weekend - arguably the worst result of the lot.
With the fewest goals scored (21) and most conceded (58), there is little down for Jean-Louis Gasset's men, with Montpellier's 16-year stay in the top flight set to end, in the year where they are celebrating their 50th anniversary.
Relegation playoff occupants Le Havre are five points clear, while there is a seven-point gap to the dotted safety line, so the 2012 French champions appear doomed.
Saint-Etienne and Le Havre, the two sides in the bottom three with them, will be the next two teams to visit the Stade de la Mosson though, in fixtures that will make or break Montpellier's season.
Team News
© Imago
Lille will be able to call upon Nabil Bentaleb again here after he was unavailable against Dortmund due to being unregistered, but Samuel Umtiti and Tiago Santos remain out with long-term knee injuries.
Edon Zhegrova is still not back from a groin injury that has kept him out for three months, while Osame Sahraoui has sustained a hip issue which is set to rule him out of this one.
Genesio could be tempted to rotate slightly with one eye on the Dortmund game, and that could see Jonathan David rested, with Chuba Akpom capable of leading the line himself.
Tanguy Coulibaly is back from suspension for Montpellier, but promising youngster Khalil Fayad has picked up a ban of his own after accumulating too many yellow cards.
The Moroccan will join a long list of absentees that has been giving manager Gasset a headache ever since he took the job.
Defensive quartet Issiaga Sylla, Becir Omeragic, Nikola Maksimovic and Christopher Jullien all remain out, along with young attacker Othmane Maamma, who has missed the last three.
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Bentaleb, Andre, Andre Gomes; Ang Gomes, Akpom, Bakker
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Lecomte; Tchato, Meite, Kouyate, Sagnan, Sainte-Luce; Ferri, Chotard, Savanier; Delort, Khazri
We say: Lille 3-0 Montpellier
Even though Lille have a huge match here at the Mauroy on Wednesday, Genesio must ensure his players are focused on this very winnable fixture, which will be important in the race for the top four.
Montpellier have failed to score in eight of their 11 away league matches this season - more than the last two seasons combined - and there is little to suggest they will change that here, following five straight defeats.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
