Auxerre will play their first game back in Ligue 1 for the 2022-23 season at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy when they take on dethroned champions Lille on Sunday with kickoff at 4 pm.
The last term, Jocelyn Gouvennec was appointed as the new manager of Lille after Christophe Galtier took up a new challenge with Nice.
Despite starting his tenure with Trophee des Champions’ success over Paris Saint-Germain, the following months were dissatisfactory. Making it through to the last-16 of the Champions League did lead to muted cheers within the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but Chelsea quickly dispatched them, and their Coupe de France run ended in the last-32 stage.
A fruitless challenge for European qualification didn’t materialize either. In response to such managerial concerns, Lille welcomed former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca to the 2022/2023 campaign dugout. A mass exodus of players has seen Renato Sanches, Sven Botman, Zeki Celik, Burak Yilmaz, and Xeka all depart, though.
Ajaccio and Toulouse were unwilling to relinquish their bids for automatic promotion to Ligue 1 and had to square off in a playoff against Saint-Etienne. After the two clubs drew both matches 1–1, the dreaded penalty shootout ensued: Auxerre won 5-4 while Ryad Boudebouz missed for Saint-Etienne, sending them down to Ligue 2.
Lille vs Auxerre Head to Head
Both sides have 16 games against each other, with hosts taking five wins while visitors with six wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Cadiz 0-1 Lille
- Espanyol 2-0 Lille
- Lille 2-2 Las Palmas
- Lille 5-0 Dunerkque
Away
- Auxerre 3-2 Red Star
- Auxerre 1-0 Troyes
- Reims 2-0 Auxerre
- Orleans 2-3 Auxerre
Lille Team News
Lille will be without two players due to card accumulation, while Amadou Onana is on the verge of completing a move to Everton. With Domagoj Bradaric also leaving for Salernitana, Ismaily should start at left-back after signing from Shakhtar Donetsk, with Tiago Djalo likely to partner Jose Fonte in the heart of the backline.
Auxerre Team News
Meanwhile, Auxerre has no players suspended for the opening day, and center-back Theo Pellenard suffered a torn knee ligament in pre-season. Bain could therefore slot straight into the Auxerre defense in front of Costil, as captain Birama Toure anchors the midfield from their 4-1-4-1 formation.
Prediction and Odds
The visitors had the better Ligue 1 opposition in Saint-Etienne last season, but the Fonseca revolution ought to begin with a win against Les Dogues.
- Home Win
- Correct Score: 2-0
- No Score: Away
