Lillevs.Le Havre

Bruno Genesio's side somehow conspired to lose to second-tier Dunkerque despite having more than one foot in the quarter-finals on two occasions, leaving the Mauroy utterly aghast.

Match preview

While Lille put on a thrilling show for their home fans in beating Feyenoord 6-1 last midweek to seal a place in the Champions League last 16, there was a very different mood at the Mauroy on Tuesday night.

In a third straight home game for Lille, and fresh off the back of netting another four goals against Saint-Etienne, Genesio's men would have been confident of seeing off Ligue 2 Dunkerque, and they looked set to edge past the lower-league outfit when Andre Gomes broke the deadlock four minutes from time.

Dunkerque equalised six minutes into injury time though, forcing penalties, and even though Lille quickly raced into a 3-0 lead, leaving a comeback virtually impossible, the hosts remarkably threw the tie away, missing their next two, taking the shootout to sudden death.

The visitors were then perfect from the spot and after Benjamin Andre missed for Lille, Dunkerque's teenage keeper Ewen Jaouen stepped up and sent the Ligue 2 side through to the quarter-finals, while Lille's fans looked on in horror and disbelief.

Focus will now switch back to league matters for Lille, where they are still in the driving seat for Champions League qualification, with Les Dogues potentially experiencing some deja vu at present.

With 35 points after 20 games, sitting in fourth, Lille have managed to put together a completely identical record so far this campaign to what they had at the same stage last season, where they also finished fourth.

Ahead of a fourth home game in succession, LOSC should feel confident of making amends for the midweek collapse, considering their only defeat in 18 home matches against Le Havre came back in 1951.

Lille have kept a clean sheet in more than half of the 37 Ligue 1 matches they have played against Le Havre, with the visitors scoring just once here in their last seven visits.

The stats do not get any better for the bottom-of-the-table side, as they have lost all 10 matches against teams currently in the top half of Ligue 1 this season, with it appearing likely they are drifting towards an inevitable relegation.

After falling to the foot of the table last month, Didier Digard's side are now four points adrift of the relegation playoff place, and six behind Rennes in 15th.

With just 15 goals scored this season, Le Havre have also now gone on a nine-game winless run, which also includes a defeat to fourth-tier Stade Briochin in the Coupe de France.

Two of their last three matches have at least ended in draws, putting some points on the table, but Digard would have been hugely disappointed at the opportunity they squandered a week ago.

Facing Angers away, Le Havre saw their opponents reduced to 10 men inside 10 minutes, but Arouna Sangante was the inexplicably sent off a mere five minutes later, and while they also took the lead through Andre Ayew, the Sky and Navy were pegged back in stoppage time.

Lille Ligue 1 form:

D

D

D

W

L

W

Lille form (all competitions):

W

L

L

W

W

L

Le Havre Ligue 1 form:

L

L

L

D

L

D

Le Havre form (all competitions):

L

L

L

D

L

D

Team News

Lille captain Andre will be available for league action again after he was suspended last weekend, but it was him who missed that crucial penalty in midweek.

Key creator Edon Zhegrova is closing in on a return from a groin injury, but this may come too soon for him, while fellow winger Mathias Fernandez-Pardo is also out.

LOSC allowed Mohamed Bayo to leave on loan to Antwerp at the end of the transfer window, with Chuba Akpom coming in, and the English striker could make his Ligue 1 debut here.

Le Havre added Fode Ballo-Toure on a free transfer from AC Milan at the end of January, but he lasted barely half-an-hour before going off injured in the draw with Angers last weekend.

Sangante's red card means that is another defender Digard will have to do without, while their quartet of injuries come further forward on the pitch.

Daler Kuzyaev, Yann Kitala, Andy Logbo and Abdoulaye Toure are the four players who have been missing in recents weeks for the visitors, and it is unlikely any of them will be fit in time for this one.

Lille possible starting lineup:

Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Mukau, Andre, Angel Gomes; Sahraoui, David, Haraldsson

Le Havre possible starting lineup:

Gorgelin; Nego, Salmier, Youte Kinkoue, Lloris, Zouaoui; Casimir, Diawara, Kechta, Ayew; Hassan

We say: Lille 4-0 Le Havre

The home fans will hope the shellshock of Tuesday night's defeat will have worn off in time for this one, where Lille will be big favourites to bolster their top-four push, against the relegation candidates.

Written by

Andrew Delaney

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