Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the fixtures of Ligue 1's Matchday 34 will take place on Saturday at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium, where local side Lille host Reims. I’m backing a bet on goals in this clash with an appealing set of odds.
Match preview
Last round, Lille suffered a surprising 2-0 defeat to Brest, ending their four-game unbeaten run in Ligue 1 (three wins and one draw). That loss also snapped Lille’s six-match scoring streak.
Despite the setback, Lille remain fifth in the Ligue 1 standings. However, their hopes of a direct Champions League spot have vanished—they’re four points off third place. The fight for fourth with Nice is still on, though, as both teams are separated only by goal difference, where Lille are slightly behind.
The team’s defensive reliability deserves mention: so far, Lille have conceded just 35 goals—only PSG, the league leaders, have allowed fewer (34). At home, Lille are confident, having won six of their last eight matches (one draw, one loss).
Reims, meanwhile, continue to struggle in attack—they haven’t scored in three consecutive Ligue 1 matches. In their last two outings, they suffered goalless defeats to Nice (0-1) and Saint-Étienne (0-2), further damaging their league position.
After another setback, Reims have slipped to 14th in the standings, and their buffer above the relegation playoff zone has shrunk to a precarious two points. Their poor attacking record is worrying: just 32 goals scored—only Montpellier, the league’s bottom side, have netted fewer (23).
Probable lineups
- Lille: Lucas Chevalier – Thomas Meunier, Aïssa Mandi, Alessandro, Ismaily – Mitchel Bakker, Ngalayel Mukau, Nabil Bentaleb, Hákon Haraldsson – Matias Fernandez Pardo, Jonathan David
- Reims: Yehvann Diouf – Sergio Akieme, Mori Gbane, Joseph Okumu, Cedric Kipre, Hiroki Sekine – Ange Tia, Valentin Atangana Edoa, Amadou Koné, Keito Nakamura – Jordan Siebatcheu
Match facts and head-to-head
- Lille beat Reims 2-0 in the reverse fixture
- The "Over 2.5 goals" bet has landed in just one of the last five meetings
- Both teams to score has occurred in two of the last five encounters
Prediction
Bookmakers are siding with the hosts in this matchup, offering odds around 1.43 for a Lille win. We believe Lille will secure a confident victory, and our pick here is "Both teams to score – No" at odds of 1.85.
