Match Overview

The 5th round match between Lens and Lille is scheduled for September 20 at the Bollaert-Delelis stadium. Here’s a comprehensive match preview, prediction, odds, and statistics for the Lens vs Lille clash.

Lens Team Analysis

Before the international break, the team secured two consecutive victories in the championship, but they couldn’t build on that success in their last match, suffering a 0:2 defeat against PSG. This extended Lens’ uncompromising streak in to 5 games (3 wins, 2 losses), and overall, they have only recorded 1 draw in their previous 23 French Championship matches. Following their unsuccessful trip to Paris, Pierre Sage’s squad dropped to the middle of the table, currently occupying 9th place. 

• Lens found the net in 5 of their last 7 matches.
• At least 2 goals were scored in 9 of the team’s last 10 championship matches.
• The club conceded in 9 of their last 10 matches in this tournament.

Lens Probable Lineup (3-4-3)*

Robin Risser – Jonathan Gradit, Samson Baidoo, Malang Sarr – Ruben Aguilar, Adrien Thomasson, Mamadou Sangare, Matthieu Udol – Florian Thauvin, Morgan Guilavogui, Odsonne Édouard. Key defender Deiver Machado is recovering from injury.

Lille Team Analysis

Lille remains undefeated in the current season – a feat only matched by PSG. Last Sunday, Lille overcame Toulouse, securing their third consecutive victory. The club’s unbeaten streak in the championship now stands at 5 matches (4 wins, 1 draw). It’s worth highlighting that Bruno Genesio’s squad boasts the highest scoring record in , having netted a total of 13 goals in 4 rounds. This potent attacking performance is a major factor in Lille’s current 2nd place in the table. 

• At least 2 goals were scored in 10 of Lille’s last 11 championship matches.
• The club conceded in 7 of their last 8 away matches.
• Both teams scored in 5 of Lille’s last 7 games in this tournament.

Lille Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1)*

Berke Özer – Romain Perraud, Nathan Ngoumou, Alessandro, Aïssa Mandi – Benjamin André, Ayyoub Bouaddi – Félix Correia, Ngal’ayel Mukau, Matías Fernández-Pardo – Olivier Giroud. Key defenders Alessandro and Thomas Meunier will be unavailable due to injury.

Referee Review

Eric Wattellier (France)

Matches – 19 (, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 60;

Average yellow cards per match – 3.2;

Red cards shown – 3;

Average fouls per match – 22;

Penalties awarded – 21%.

Key Match Prediction: Lens vs Lille

Lens currently holds an equal number of wins and losses in , but so far, their victories have only come against teams from the bottom half of the table – Le Havre and Brest. In contrast, they suffered defeats against Lyon and PSG. Lens hosted Lyon at home, but the home support wasn’t enough to prevent a loss. This isn’t an isolated incident, as the club has lost 7 of its last 12 home league matches. Furthermore, their head-to-head encounters with Lille have proven difficult. Statistics confirm this, with Lens failing to secure a win in 9 of their last 10 home matches against Lille in (5 draws, 4 losses). Considering all matches, not just those at Lens’ home ground, Lille is on an impressive 6-game unbeaten run in the championship, securing 4 victories during this period. The club has scored in all these matches, and when they conceded, it was never more than one goal. It’s also worth noting that Lille is still undefeated in the current season, extending their unbeaten league run to 5 games. There is a high probability that the visitors will once again secure at least one point. Our prediction is “Lille to Win or Draw” with odds of 1.51. * The starting lineup for each team is based on their last match in this tournament.