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Lille
Ligue 1 | Gameweek 2
Aug 20, 2023 at 12pm UK
Stade Pierre-Mauroy
Nantes

Lille
2 - 0
Nantes

David (66'), Ounas (90+4')
Alexsandro (78')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Pallois (32'), Castelletto (47')

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

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Ligue 1 clash between Lille and Nantes, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Seeking their first wins of the 2023-24 Ligue 1 campaign at the second attempt, Lille square off with Nantes at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday lunchtime.

Les Dogues left it late to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw away to Nice on matchday one, while Les Canaris failed to hang on to a slender advantage in a 2-1 loss to Toulouse.


Match preview

Lille coach Paulo Fonseca on February 19, 2023© Reuters

Two months on from ending the 2022-23 season with a 1-1 stalemate away to relegated Troyes, Lille picked up where they left off when they visited Nice's Allianz Riviera fortress, although not until the fourth minute of second-half injury time would Les Dogues make the net ripple.

Gaetan Laborde's fine finish got Nice off the mark with 18 minutes played, but just as Les Aiglons seemed destined to cling on for maximum spoils, Angel Gomes's pinpoint free kick found the head of Bafode Diakite to draw Lille level with mere seconds remaining.

Marcin Bulka was left rooted to the spot as Diakite rose highest inside the six-yard box, as Nice rescued a point which leaves them in 10th place in the embryonic standings, not that many fans will be paying much attention to the table at this stage of proceedings.

Fonseca's men maybe deserved to edge the game on paper - recording 60% possession and 12 shots on the night - but Lille cannot dwell on those missed opportunities as they prepare to juggle domestic and continental commitments towards the end of the month.

Indeed, Les Dogues will soon do battle with Croatian outfit Rijeka for a place in the Europa Conference League group stages, prior to which they will seek a stellar sixth Ligue 1 win on the bounce at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, where they are unbeaten in 16 matches.

Paris Saint-Germain's Warren Zaire-Emery in action with Nantes' Andrei Girotto on March 4, 2023© Reuters

It has been almost 12 months since Les Dogues last suffered a top-flight defeat in front of the home faithful - losing 2-1 to recent opponents Nice on August 31 - which coincidentally was the same scoreline when Nantes renewed hostilities with Coupe de France finalists Toulouse last weekend.

Les Canaris - who were destroyed 5-1 in last year's cup showpiece - were on the path to redemption when Mustafa Mohamed found the top corner with a slick first-half penalty, but Zakaria Aboukhlal bravely bundled home at the back stick while colliding with Alban Lafont, who came off worse and had to be substituted.

While Lille benefitted from an injury-time goal in the opening weekend, Nantes were left to rue a late strike, as Rasmus Nicolaisen's header found its way past stand-in goalkeeper Denis Petric, condemning Pierre Aristouy to the worst possible start in the Stade de la Beaujoire hotseat.

Occupying the relegation playoff place after one game - a position Nantes are all too familiar with - Les Canaris are fighting an uphill battle to snap a seven-game losing streak on the road in Ligue 1, having not succeeded on the road since February's 2-0 win over demoted Ajaccio.

Furthermore, last year's Coupe de France runners-up are enduring a miserable 16-game winless run against Lille in all competitions - losing 2-1 on Les Dogues turf last term - and Nantes' most recent success in this fixture came all the way back in September 2015.

Lille Ligue 1 form:
  • D

Nantes Ligue 1 form:
  • L


Team News

Alban Lafont in action for Nantes in September 2022© Reuters

Lille navigated their opening draw with Nantes without the services of injured quartet Mohamed Bayo, Samuel Umtiti, Adam Ounas and Tiago Djalo, all of whom are in different stages of their recoveries from their respective issues.

Ounas is the furthest along in his rehabilitation but is unlikely to be risked this weekend, where Fonseca may ponder a change or two to his starting XI, especially given Gomes's crucial contribution last time out.

The former Manchester United starlet should be in with a strong chance of displacing Carlos Baleba, while Jonathan David leads the line in what is expected to be his final season in Dogues colours.

In contrast, Nantes number one Lafont was stretchered off following his collision with Aboukhlal last weekend, prior to which long-serving attacker Marcus Coco was also taken off on the hour mark.

Coco is only believed to have been suffering from cramps and should be fine for Sunday, but Lafont suffered a sickening fractured rib and will be absent for a couple of months, allowing Petric to stake his claim in between the sticks.

Jean-Charles Castelletto and Fabien Centonze have welcomed Lafont into the infirmary, although the former (hamstring) trained normally ahead of the Toulouse defeat and ought to be passed fit for this one.


Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Santos, Diakite, Alexsandro, Ismaily; Gomes, Andre; Zhegrova, Cabella, Haraldsson; David

Nantes possible starting lineup:
Petric; Castelletto, Pallois, Zeze; Pierre-Gabriel, Moutoussamy, Chirivella, Merlin; Mollet; Mohamed, Simon


SM words green background

We say: Lille 2-0 Nantes

Without their number one goalkeeper, Nantes' hopes of ending a dismal stretch of away form - as well as their lengthy winless run against Lille - are surely slim to none this weekend.

Fonseca's men turned the Stade Pierre-Mauroy into a fortress last season, and they should find a way to break down the defensive Nantes setup en route to all three points.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a home 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 Win:data


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Game History

How you voted: Lille vs Nantes

Lille
89.5%
Draw
10.5%
Nantes
0.0%
19
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Paris Saint-GermainPSG1192033102329
2MonacoMonaco117221881023
3Marseille116232415920
4Lille115421811719
5Lyon115331815318
6Nice1145221111017
7Reims115241915417
8Lens11452129317
9Auxerre115152019116
10Toulouse114341311215
11StrasbourgStrasbourg113442022-213
12Brest114161419-513
13Rennes113261318-511
14NantesNantes112451417-310
15Angers112451320-710
16Saint-EtienneSt Etienne113171025-1510
17Le HavreLe Havre11308823-159
18Montpellier HSCMontpellier112181131-207


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