Lillevs.Strasbourg

The visitors are unbeaten in their previous four matches and are focused on advancing to the top half of the table.

Match preview

Lille were handed European heartbreak in midweek despite beating Aston Villa 2-1 on Thursday night as the two teams drew on aggregate and the Premier League outfit eventually came out on top via a penalty shootout.

While the Mastiffs got knocked out of the competition, they must quickly dust themselves down to go again this weekend if they want to play in the Champions League next season.

Lille currently sits fourth in the Ligue 1 table, clinging onto the final qualification spot, but with just a four-point gap over Nice, there is little room for error regarding the final six games of this campaign.

The competition to finish in any of the European places is tight right now, with nine points between fourth and seventh, highlighting how easy it would be to not qualify for any competition.

However, Paulo Fonseca's men are undefeated in their previous five Ligue 1 fixtures, and after defeating Aston Villa in midweek, there should be plenty of confidence within the group.

The same can be said for the visitors, though, as Strasbourg heads into Sunday on the back of a four-match streak without a defeat, which has helped the club climb away from the relegation zone.

The Blue and Whites might currently be 12th in the table, but they have been playing with confidence lately, both in front of goal and defensively.

Strasbourg have kept two clean sheets in their previous four matches, in a run that has seen them score eight times, and the focus for Patrick Viera will be on guiding the team to as high of a finish as possible with the remaining games.

The visitors have typically struggled away from home this season, winning just three times on the road, which has been a sticking point for them.

But Strasbourg did defeat Lille when the two teams met earlier this season with a 2-1 victory, proving that they are more than capable of matching their opponents this weekend despite the difference in their league positions.

Lille Ligue 1 form:

L

W

D

D

W

W

Lille form (all competitions):

D

D

W

W

L

L

Strasbourg Ligue 1 form:

D

L

W

W

D

W

Team News

Lille heads into Sunday with a plethora of injury concerns. Andrej Ilic and Edon Zhegrova are currently unavailable, while Rafael Fernandes and Samuel Umtiti are out of action defensively.

Jonathan David will be on hand to provide the hosts with firepower, though. With 16 goals to his name already this season, the Canadian forward has proven himself to be a handful.

For the visitors, Emanuel Emegha and Angelo Gabriel are expected to once again be absent due to injury. However, Strasbourg still have a goal threat as Kevin Gameiro scored in their most recent outing.

Viera will also have to make do without Karol Fila and Lebo Mothiba as they each continue their recovery from respective knee issues.

Lille possible starting lineup:

Chevalier; Santos, Diakite, Yoro, Ismaily; Andre, Bentaleb; Yazici, Gomes, Gudmundsson; David

Strasbourg possible starting lineup:

Bellaarouch; Guilbert, Perrin, Sow; Senaya, Santos, Sissoko, Delaine; Diarra, Gameiro, Bakwa

We say: Lille 2-1 Strasbourg

Lille will look to put European disappointment behind them on Sunday, and three points that would edge them closer to the Champions League would be the perfect way to do that.

Strasbourg are in good form as of late, which should lead to a competitive match, but the hosts should ultimately have too much quality.

Previews by email