Lille-Clermont is a Ligue 1 Week 21 match and is played on Wednesday at 19:00: stats, likely formations, predictions.
Paulo Fonseca’s Lille will be looking to turn the page immediately after the undeserved defeat in Nice on Sunday ended a long run of positive results between competitions. The surprising Clermont to try instead to reduce the gap that exists at the moment between the so-called ‘middle ground’ and the group of teams fighting for a place in Europe.
There was no shortage of action at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in the midweek match between the team coached by the former Roma coach and Pascal Gastien’s side, seventh and eighth in the table respectively. Lille’s unbeaten run came to an end in the last round on the Côte d’Azur: a match played well overall by the Dogues, who had several chances to take the lead and to bring home a match dominated from all points of view. But football is not an exact science, and a goal from the Rossoneri’s Laborde at the end of the first half gave the first disappointment since last October to the Lusitanian coach, who slipped 10 points from third place and Champions League qualification. The other Europe, however, remains within reach: Lille are three points behind fifth-placed Rennes and four behind fourth-placed Monaco. Just a bump in the road or is there more to it?
Fonseca will be hoping for an answer in the clash with the Lanciers, and will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run at home since August: only Psg and Nice have managed to breach the Dogues’ stadium this season.
Magnin del Clermont
Beaten 2-0 in the first leg – played last December, just a month ago – Clermont will travel to the north of France with the peace of mind of those who know they have salvation in their pockets, which was the primary objective at the start of the year. Gastien’s men are doing a championship beyond all expectations: after the home defeat against Lille they have not lost in Ligue 1, also taking the illustrious scalps of Lyon and Rennes.
The Prediction
Lille should return to a positive result after the false step in Nice in a match that promises at least three goals in total. Clermont are a team to be taken with caution and, with no great pressure, will play with an open mind.
Lille-Clermont’s likely line-up
- LILLE (4-2-3-1): Chevalier; Diakité, Fonte, Djalo, Ismaily; André, Angel Gomes; Weah, David, Cabella; Bayo.
- CLERMONT (3-4-2-1): Diaw; Seidu, Wieteska, Caufriez; Allevinah, Khaoui, Magnin, Borges; Cham, Rashani; Kyei.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-2
