Strasbourg – Lille : Preview & Prediction
It took ten Ligue 1 fixtures before Strasbourg finally picked up their first league win of the season, beating Angers 3-2 last time out, and that despite the absence of coach Julien Stéphan on the bench due to an outbreak of COVID-19. While it took some time to get that first win, Strasbourg have proven difficult to beat this campaign (G1, E5, P4) and that result certainly added to the value of their five draws that sent them towards the bottom of the standings. .
Could this win now be the start of a positive streak? Last season, ‘Le Racing’ also beat Angers away (0-1), which sparked a string of nine games without defeat in Ligue 1 (G3, E6) — although this ended with a 1-0 loss to none other than Lille in April. Fans will surely be hoping for better this time around, especially since the last time Strasbourg failed to win their first six home games of a top-flight campaign was in 2005/06, where they were eventually relegated.
Lille are two points off the European places after alternating wins and defeats in their last eight matches (G4, P4), ending on a positive note with a 1-0 win in the “Derby du Nord” against Lens last weekend. Adding another defeat would obviously damage Lille’s hopes of returning to European competition, while adding to their current tally of ten defeats in Ligue 1 this calendar year — their highest tally since 2018.
The away side will therefore be looking to rediscover the performance that saw them go unbeaten in their first three away games this season (G2, E1), until a run of 2-1 away defeats to Marseille and Lorient halted that early momentum. However, the omens look good for Lille heading into this clash, as they won all three of their private series duels with Strasbourg in France’s top flight at the Stade de la Meinau.
Players to watch: Strasbourg’s Alexander Djiku will be hoping for a positive start to celebrate his 200th Ligue 1 appearance, and opened the scoring with his previous four league goals. Lille could rely on Jonathan David for a good start to the match, after the Canadian scored before halftime in four of his five scoring appearances in the 2022/23 Ligue 1 campaign — in addition to scoring in this same match last season.
Key stat: The last five official matches between these two rivals at the Stade de Strasbourg have been 1-0 (in favor of either team) at halftime.
Strasbourg – Lille : Betting Tips
Lille – Win Odds: 2.25
