Solid Nice also played aggressively beautifully in last week’s victory over Nimes, and fast Saint-Maximin may well threaten Lille’s somewhat heavy center defense. The home team is No. 2 (only PSG is ahead) and won last in Marseille, but the victory was lucky.
Lille
Last result: 2-1 vs Marseille
Form: W W W W W
- Lille has five consecutive wins in all competitions, three of which have been successful in Ligue 1. The group set up by Christophe Galtier is second in the rankings and is heading towards the most important goal – qualification in the UEFA Champions League. It’s almost impossible to think he can reduce the 12-point lead that PSG has already created, since the stars in the capital have two more games to play.
- Lille lost one match on his own. He has, in turn, 7 wins and 21 goals scored. From the 1949-1950 season he did not have such developments in Ligue 1. It was the last time the LOSC had scored 13 wins in the first 22 stages.
- Nice (No. 7) is undefeated in 4 league matches in 2019 and suffered only 1 defeat in 8 matches in Nov-Dec (2-0 over Lille Nov 25). Only 5 goals against the 12 matches.
After an aggressively heavy period in Dec and start-January, it clicked on Saturday with great play and 2-0 at home over Nîmes.
In lightning-fast and on-going Saint-Maximin, Nice has a class invader who can threaten the slightly heavy Lille-central defense.
Good game against Nîmes is due, among other things, to Better support for him via switch to 4-3-3. Still solid: Poisonous Nïmes had a lot of trials but few dangerous.
Lille is best to play versus and has had some problems with stubborn defenses, for example at home against Caen, Strasbourg, Reims and Toulouse.
The French club was lucky to win in Marseille in the last round. The home team played best despite various absences and reds.
Now Lille has doubts about the strong right-back Celik who fought a decisive penalty kick in Marseille and was simultaneously injured.
Lille has trophy-eighth finals in Rennes next Wednesday; Nice not to play in midweek.
Nice
Last result: 2-0 vs Nimes
Form: W D D W L
- Nice has found its rhythm and has not lost four stages. Saturday did not give Nimes a chance and won 2-0. The score could have been even more drastic – the players trained by Patrick Vieira dominated the game from one end to the other. The three points helped the “little eagles” to climb 7th.
- In the last three months Nice suffered a single defeat in the championship. He scored 6 victories and 5 draws, even if he missed the show. Not even a game scored over 2.5 goals. Vieira gets reinforcements just before the duel with Lille and dreams of surprise – Ihsan Sacko has served his suspension, and Pierre Lees-Melou and Myziane Maolida have come back physically.
- Lille (no. 2) has had a nice season and is 7-3-1 on her own grass. 2019 is opened with 5 wins in a row (2 in the trophy). By 2-1 at Marseille.
Offensivtrio behind centreforward, Bamba / Ikoné / Pepe, are fast, challenging, creative and goal-oriented. Contraindications Scary.
Maignan is a class goalkeeper (that is Nices Benitez though). Defense solid. If Celik has to stand over, Pied is an experienced and competent replacement.
Lille has in between problems with opening compact defenses, but it succeeds, after all, for the most part.
The Nice Offensive was more or less impotent in Dec and early January.
The game was good at the latest, but dare coach Viera play 4-3-3 in Lille, or does he go back to three middle defenders and pale offensive?
In between, the solid Nice defenses break – as in the first match of the year became 1-4 losses in Toulouse, in the trophy.
Nice midfielder Lees-Melou was a substitute for Nîmes after the injury period. Now he can start, but how is the shape?
Football Prediction of the Day Lille vs Nice
- Lille is without a win in the last 13 matches with Nice in Ligue 1 (6 draws, 7 defeats)
- No other team in the French championship has a darker set
- The last success with Nice in the domestic race dates from May 2012 (1-0)
- It’s been 13 years since Lille’s last victory, on his own, with Nice.
- He has won 5 of the last 7 games in Ligue 1. He was unsuccessful in the previous 4!
- Nice lost only once in the last 12 rounds (6 wins, 5 draws)
- He is unsuccessful in the previous four Ligue 1 runs (3 draws, 1 defeat)
- Wylan Cyprien was involved in 3 goals in the goal of Lille (2 goals, 1 assistant)
- GG came out in 6 of the last 7 matches between Nice and Lille
- In 11 of the last 13 straight games they scored under 2.5 goals
Bet Tips: (AH: +0.5) 2
Odds: 2.08
