There is all to play for as Lille host Borussia Dortmund in a UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg encounter. After the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw, it is win or bust for both teams, however the hosts strong home form should help them edge the visitors.
Lille head into this match after a narrow 1-0 league win over Montpellier, bringing them level on points with fourth-placed Monaco as they continue their push for a top-four finish in Ligue 1. Their European form has been equally impressive, remaining unbeaten at home this season with four wins from five matches.
Their attacking firepower was on full display in their last home fixture in Europe, a dominant 6-1 win over Feyenoord. However, Bruno Genesio’s side have some improvements to make defensively after conceding four goals in five outings at Decathlon Arena.
Borussia Dortmund suffered a surprising 1-0 home defeat to Augsburg in their last Bundesliga outing, dealing a blow to their hopes of securing European football next season. The loss means they have now failed to win three of their last five matches across all competitions.
Niko Kovac’s team are solid on the road, claiming three wins from five away matches, with 12 goals scored in the ongoing Champions League campaign. However, the manager must sort out the defensive issues that has seen them fail to keep a clean sheet in seven of their last nine matches in all competitions.
How the bookies view it: Closely fought contest
The bookies are split with a win for Lille priced at 8/5 with BoyleSports, who are also offering 13/8 for a Borussia Dortmund victory. A draw is set at 12/5.
Head to head: Equal foes
All three previous meetings between the two sides have ended in draws, including a 1-1 scoreline in the reverse fixture. Both teams met during the 2001-02 Europa League, playing out a 1-1 draw in France before a 0-0 scoreline in Germany.
Players to watch: Eyes on David
Jonathan David is Lille’s top scorer with 22 goals in all competitions, six of which have come in the Champions League. The striker is priced at 13/8 by BoyleSports to score anytime.
Serhou Guirassy has 24 goals in all competitions for Dortmund and is also the leading scorer in the Champions League with 10 strikes. He could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime with BoyleSports offering odds of 13/8.
Probable line-ups
Lille will be without Tiago Santos, Edon Zhegrova, Samuel Umtiti, Ethan Mbappe, Osame Sahraoui and Mitchel Bakker who are all sidelined with injuries. However, Jonathan David, Hakon Haraldsson and Remy Cabella should retain their spots in the line-up.
For Dortmund, Felix Nmecha, Daniel Svensson, Filippo Mane and Marcel Lotka are all ruled out with injuries while Carney Chukwuemeka is doubtful after recovering from a knee problem. However, Guirassy is expected to lead the attack while Kareem Adeyemi and Julian Brandt retain their spots in the line-up.
Lille: Chevalier, Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Ismaily, Gomes, Andre, Bouaddi, Heraldsson, Cabella, David
Dortmund: Kobel, Bensebaini, Schlotterbeck, Can, Couto, Gross, Ozcan, Gittenns, Brandt, Adeyemi, Guirassy
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams have scored in Lille’s last seven Champions League matches, including the reverse fixture with Dortmund and a repeat is priced at 8/13 with BoyleSports. Four of their last five matches have produced over 2.5 goals, which is priced at 4/5 with BoyleSports, who are also offering odds of 21/10 for over 3.5 goals.
Lille have scored first in their last five Champions League matches and a similar outcome could be considered at evens with BoyleSports.
This UEFA Champions League match between Lille and Borussia Dortmund will be played on and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Lille vs Borussia Dortmund prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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