Ligue 1 leaders take on Eredivisie leaders in a mouthwatering encounter in the Europa League showdown as Lille welcomes home Ajax in the last 32 ties. The match schedules for Thursday at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, with kickoff at 11 pm.
Christopher Galtier’s men qualified to the knockout stages as runners-up in Group H; on the other hand, Ajax dropped down from the Champions League after finishing third in the group.
Lille is enjoying life at the top of Ligue 1 after an impressive start to their campaign. However, their stance at the top is flattering after a goalless draw to Brest last weekend. The goalless stalemate with the Les Pirates saw Lille’s seven-game-winning run come to an abrupt end.
PSG took advantage of their slip last weekend with another win to bridge the gap between the sides. The Los Dogues will be looking to rectify their weekend mishap when they resume Europa League action this weekend.
Lille suffered mixed results in the Champions League fixtures as they fell for another defeat to Celtic. However, their current form remains boosted with three wins and two draws from their last five matches.
Ajax was beyond their capacity to usurp Liverpool and Atalanta from the Champions League but remain hopeful in Europa League. Their last run in the last 32 ties in the campaign dates back to a defeat to Manchester United.
Lille vs. Ajax Head to Head
Both sides have two games against each other with Ajax taking home two wins while Lille without a win. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
Lille 0-0 Brest
Dijon 0-1 Lille
FC Nantes 0-2 Lille
Bordeaux 0-3 Lille
Lille 1-0 Dijon
Away
Heracles Almelo 0-2 Ajax
Ajax 2-1 PSV Eindhoven
AZ Alkmaar 0-3 Ajax
Ajax 3-1 Willem II Tilburg
Fortuna Sittard 0-1 Ajax
Lille Team News
Lille remains without midfielders Xeka and Benjamin Andre, who remain suspended after picking an accumulation of yellow cards. The engine room remains led by Renato Sanchez and Boubakary Soumare.
Ajax Team News
After an administrative error, Sebastian Haller sets to remain out of the relegation form. Yusuf Yacizi is back in contention after an injury. Lessana Traore will lead the attacking line this Thursday. Other attacking options remain suspended without Ryan Gravenberch and Andre Onana. Right-back, Noussair is back in contention after taking a ball to the face.
Prediction and Odds
It remains unclear how Ajax will overturn their short attacking prowess this weekend against Lille.
Lille Win
Goals Under 2.5
Most Goals: 1.5