Two sides separated by just one point in the top half of the Ligue 1 standings will face each other this weekend as Lille welcomes Lens to Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Match day schedules for 16th April 2022 at 22:00 EAT.
Lille is placed seventh with 48 points in the table and they happen to be the defending champions. They need a surplus of at least three points to secure a fifth-place finish and entry into the Conference League. Gourvennec’s side have demonstrated the defensive resilience that made them champions under Christophe Galtier and have kept four clean sheets in their last four at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy – where they have only lost once in the league since September – but three of those games in draws.
Lille prepares this fixture off the back of a 1-1 Ligue 1 tie with Angers SCO in their previous game. In that game, Lille had 65% possession, 18 shots with three of them on target and goals scored by Tiago Djaló (64′ Own goal) and Edon Zhegrova (74′). Angers SCO got 13 shots with three on target.
Lens on the other side is placed eighth with 47 points in the table, right below their Saturday’s counterparts. And as it can be seen these two sides are part of the same race for European qualification and therefore a win this weekend will be hugely beneficial for the victor. Lens have however been shut out in three of their last four away matches in the top flight before facing a side as defensively watertight as Lille.
Les Sang heads into this meeting confident after 3-0 Ligue 1 victory to beat Nice in their previous outing. In that match, Lens had 43% possession, six shots with three of them on target and goals scored by Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga (51′, 67′) and Cheick Doucouré (55′). Nice got 16 shots with six of them on target.
Lille vs Lens head to head
Lille boasts a slight upper hand in the history of this fixture having won 15 times out of the 36 meetings since 1993. 12 matches ended in stalemates while Lens has recorded nine wins in that period.
- Lens 4-3 Lille 4/01/22
- Lens 1-0 Lille 18/09/21
- Lens 0-3 Lille 07/05/21
- Lille 4-0 Lens 18/10/20
- Lille 3-1 Lens 03/05/15
Home
- Angers 1-1 Lille
- Lille 0-0 Bordeaux
- Nantes 0-1 Lille
- Lille 1-2 Chelsea
- Lille 0-0 Saint-Etienne
Away
- Lens 3-0 Nice
- Strasbourg 1-0 Lens
- Lens 3-1 Clermont Foot
- Metz 0-0 Lens
- Lens 0-1 Brest
Lille team news
Ivo Grbic and Sven Botman remained sidelinedthrough injuries while Hatem Ben Arfa has been excelled from the squad after a row with his boss.
Lens team news
While Corentin Jean is recovering from injury Gael Kakuta and Christopher Wooh join him in the injury list.
Prediction and odds
Lille is unbeaten in eight of their past ten overall fixtures, and they have lost just two league matches at this venue in the whole season while Lens is also unbeaten in six of their past eight overall fixtures and had scored two or more goals in four of their past eight games.
- Lille Win
- Draw
- Both teams to score
