Preview: Lille vs. Nantes - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to widen an bonzer unbeaten tally into the caller year, Lille volition invited Nantes to Stade Pierre-Mauroy connected Saturday.

Following a good tally of form, Les Dogues footwear disconnected 2025 sitting wrong Ligue 1's apical four, portion their visitors are languishing astatine the incorrect extremity of the table.

Match preview

© IconSport

After a 1-1 gully astatine Marseille successful their past league fixture extended Lille's undefeated streak to 16 matches - including wins implicit some Madrid clubs successful the Champions League - they avoided an embarrassing extremity to that tally conscionable earlier Christmas.

Facing third-tier Rouen successful the Coupe de France, they edged done to the past 32 with a 1-0 triumph secured by Ismaily's first-half onslaught astatine Stade Robert Diochon.

As a result, Lille person not mislaid immoderate of their past 17 successful each competitions, winning 10 times successful the process, and that represents the second-longest series successful their full past - the people is simply a 19-game tally acceptable betwixt October 1973 and March 1974.

Not lone are Bruno Genesio's broadside successful the premix to decorativeness 'best of the rest' down imperious Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, with lone 3 points separating them from 2nd place, but they besides beryllium wrong the Champions League's apical eight.

Set to sojourn Liverpool astatine Anfield soon aft they reconvene with Marseille for an enticing cupful necktie aboriginal this month, archetypal Les Dogues indispensable effort to commencement 2025 connected the close note.

Having scored successful each of their past 32 league matches connected location turf - averaging conscionable implicit 2 per crippled - they volition caput into Saturday's crippled connected their champion specified streak for 65 years. Furthermore, Lille's caller grounds against Nantes is 1 of dominance.

© Imago

Nantes person not beaten Lille successful Ligue 1 since September 2015 - a winless tally that stretches to 17 matches, featuring nary less than 13 defeats.

Their latest effort to extremity that drought takes spot against the backdrop of immoderate dismal results implicit the past fewer months: Les Canaris person won lone 1 of 12 top-flight fixtures played since the planetary interruption successful September.

Having mislaid 7 times during that period, Nantes are present just 2 points supra the automatic relegation places, with the season's halfway signifier accelerated approaching.

Beaten 4-1 successful Brest earlier Christmas, they person conceded astatine slightest erstwhile successful their past 7 Ligue 1 distant games - FCN's worst streak since 2021 - and manager Antoine Kombouare is surely successful information of being sacked for a 2nd clip by the aforesaid club.

Amid immoderate pugnacious times successful the league, Nantes person been Coupe de France specialists implicit the past fewer years, making the last successful 2 of the past 3 editions.

They booked a spot successful this season's past 32 by beating Drancy JA 4-0 past clip out, with Matthis Abline helping himself to a brace, but their travel to Lille volition contiguous a precise antithetic test.

Lille Ligue 1 form:

Lille signifier (all competitions):

Nantes Ligue 1 form:

Nantes signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Lille brag Bruno Genesio has been burdened by a agelong wounded database for immoderate clip now, with Tiago Santos, Samuel Umtiti, Nabil Bentaleb, Angel Gomes and Ethan Mbappe each absent.

In addition, Mitchel Bakker indispensable service a suspension, truthful helium volition articulation respective players successful dropping retired of the lineup that started successful Rouen; regulars specified arsenic Alexsandro, Edon Zhegrova, Hakon Arnar Haraldsson and goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier should each return.

After finishing wrong the apical 10 for league goals scored successful Europe past year, Canadian striker Jonathan David is acceptable to pb the hosts' attack, amid intense speculation surrounding his future.

Meanwhile, Nantes volition question northbound without versatile guardant Tino Kadewere, who is inactive sidelined by a muscular injury.

Scoring doubly successful FCN's pre-Christmas cupful triumph should unafraid Matthis Abline a spot up front, with Ignatius Ganago, Moses Simon and Mostafa Mohamed besides vying for places successful the last third.

Lille imaginable starting lineup:
Chevalier; Mandi, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Andre, Mukau; Zhegrova, Haraldsson, Sahraoui; David

We say: Lille 2-0 Nantes

No existent coaches person managed much Ligue 1 games than Bruno Genesio (246) oregon the vastly experienced Antoine Kombouare (521), yet determination has ne'er been a gully betwixt them successful the French apical flight.

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