Lille were shown the exit of the Champions League this week and should now focus on securing CL football again by making it to the Top 3 in Ligue 1. Expect them to bounce back against struggling Nantes.
The Mastiffs couldn't hold down Borussia Dortmund and conceded a 1-2 loss at home, which marked the end of their CL run this season. Reaching the 1/8 finals was a great achievement but Lille certainly hoped for more after their impressive performance in the League Phase. Nothing can be done about that now and Lille have to focus on winning the next few fixtures in Ligue 1.
But with just one win in the last five away games, the Mastiffs need a better performance in the final third as scoring goals has been a problem lately. Fortunately, they will face one of the teams in the worst shape right now.
Nantes conceded a fourth defeat in the last five rounds and the relegation zone is just a couple of losses away. The only reason the Canaries are safe at this point is the worse performance of the teams beneath them. But this could change overnight and Nantes may find themselves in an even more unfavorable position.
How the bookies view it: Value on both ends
Despite the serious problems in the home camp, bookmakers haven't given Lille that much of an advantage. Still, the Mastiffs are available at 23/20 next to the 13/5 for Nantes. The draw is also an option at 11/5.
Recent head to head: One-sided but only by fine margins
It's been almost a decade since the last time we saw Nantes beat Lille. The Canaries last won in September 2015. Since then, Lille have managed to win 14 times, while the teams also produced four draws. The key takeaway here is that despite all the losses, almost all H2Hs were close and decided by one goal.
Players to watch: David will take another step towards greatness
Jonathan David is getting closer and closer to breaking Andre Strappe's goal record for Lille. The 25-year-old striker currently has 107 goals for the Mastiffs, while Strappe holds the record with 112. We have no doubts that David will surpass him in the remaining games of the season and Nantes are one of the best teams to score against right now. He has five goals against Nantes in the last five H2Hs too.
Probable line-ups
Nantes: Lopes, Castelleto, Pallois, Coco, Leroux, Thomas, Chirivella, Lepenant, Simon, Mohamed, Abline
Lille: Chevalier, Meunier, Alexsandro, Diakite, Gudmundsson, Andre Gomes, Angel Gomes, Andre, Haraldsson, Cabella, David
Anything else catch the eye?
As previously mentioned, this rivalry often produces tight fixtures and we expect to see another example on Saturday. Nevertheless, we have to back the Mastiffs to win, especially after the tough exit from the Champions League mid-week. Lille have to make it up to their fans and Nantes are the perfect target to do it.
With this said, we would go for 1-2 if we were to bet on a scoreline. Nantes have one of the weakest attacks in the league but usually find the net at least once on average at home.
This French Ligue 1 match between Nantes and Lille will be played on and kick off at 16:00. Check below for our tipsters best Nantes vs Lille prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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