LOSC just a flash in the pan?
Few months after their surprising Ligue 1 championship, Lille OSC are currently experiencing a relapse into old times. Five matchdays after the start of the 2021/22 season, “LOSC” is still in twelfth place in the table, and so far the defending champions have won only one match. This weekend, Lille are guests at RC Lens, who are in good form.
In contrast to “LOSC”, Lens have had a very strong start to the season so far. The “Sang et Or” already have nine points to their name, including the recent away coup at Girondins Bordeaux. At home, the fifth-placed team is now aiming for its first win of the season. Racing Lens have drawn two of their first two home matches so far
The only encouraging thing for “Les Dogues” on Saturday night is their recent record against RC Lens. After all, Lille have not lost a single Ligue 1 match against Lens since April 2006 Most recently, the reigning champions have even won three in a row against their upcoming opponents
France Lens – Statistics & current form
The second season after promotion is known to be the hardest season – at least for most clubs. Racing Lens is a positive counter-example to this. The “Sang et Or” made a promising start to the season, as it did the season before, and meanwhile ranks among the in-form teams in the French top flight.
After five matchdays, the northern French club already has two wins and three draws to its name, which puts Franck Haise’s team in fifth place. They will now look to build on their recent run of form at home against Lille OSC. Saturday’s opponents have been one of Racing Lens’ fears in the past.
The hosts from Lens have not won any of their last ten competitive matches against Lille. They have lost three of their last three games, conceding a total of ten goals. Now there is a chance for revenge. The visitors, meanwhile, are in free fall.
Will RC Lens score a home coup?
One of the arguments in favour of a Lens vs. Lille prediction is Racing’s offensive power. Behind the leaders from Paris (16 goals), RC Lens currently has the third strongest attacking department in Ligue 1 with ten goals in five matchdays. It would therefore not be at all surprising if the next offensive spectacle follows against Lille OSC.
Saturday’s opponents – statistically speaking, mind you – currently have the second weakest defence in the league. Among the most important and valuable players in the ranks of the “Sang et Or” is Seko Fofana. With three goals, the midfielder currently even leads the internal goalscoring list of the fifth-placed team in the table.
Against “LOSC”, Fofana will again be set in midfield. Major changes are not to be expected anyway after the recent performances. Due to injury, Franck Haise will only be missing Massadio Haidara on Saturday night.
Predicted Lens line-up:
Leca – Gradit, Danso, Medina – Clauss, Fofana, Cahuzac, Frankowski – Kakuta, Sotoca, Ganago.
Last matches played by Lens:
France Lille – Statistics & current form
The season could hardly have started worse for Lille OSC. In Ligue 1, the defending champions are in free fall, and on the international stage, they only managed a meagre draw at the start of the top flight. Although the recent opponents from Wolfsburg played for long stretches of the second half outnumbered, there was only one point for “LOSC” during the week.
Lille’s next competitive match is already on the agenda for Saturday. After the exhausting match on the international stage, the bookmakers again see “LOSC” as underdogs. Because the team of head coach Jocelyn Gourvennec has hardly been convincing in Ligue 1 so far, the next setback cannot be ruled out this weekend.
Last year, Lille OSC beat Racing Lens in both the first and second legs. The reigning champions even scored a total of seven goals. If the next victory is on the cards, underdog bettors can pick up odds of over 2.50 on Lens vs. Lille.
LOSC’s defence is shaking
Compared to last season, the defensive line is currently the big problem area of “LOSC “ In the first five match days of Ligue 1, they have already conceded eleven goals. By comparison, Lille conceded only 23 goals in 38 matchdays last season, making them the strongest defensive bulwark in the league.
Since the departure of successful coach Christophe Galtier, there has been no sign of that. His successor, Gourvennec, has not yet been convincing, apart from the Super Cup against PSG. Surprising, because the team structure remained largely stable in the summer. With Soumaré and Maignan, there were only two serious departures for “Les Dogues”.
Because Gourvennec are currently struggling with a number of serious absences, no major changes are expected from the visitors on the sixth matchday of Ligue 1. After all, with Weah, Bamba and Sanches, three key players are missing from the attack.
Predicted line-up of Lille:
Grbic – Celik, Fonte, Botman, Mandava – Ikone, Andre, Xeka, Yazici – David, Yilmaz.
Last matches played by Lille:
Lens – Lille Direct Comparison / H2H Record
For the 95th time Racing Lens and Lille OSC will meet. “Les Dogues” currently lead the direct comparison against RC Lens with a record of 36-31-27. In Ligue 1, Lille have a record of 9-3-0 in their last twelve matches against Saturday’s opponents. The last time the defending champions from northern France lost a league match against Racing Lens was in April 2006.
Most recently, “LOSC” even had three wins in a row against Lens. In the last two games, Lille even kept their clean sheet and scored seven goals. Among them was the 3-0 away win in the second leg of last season.
France Lens – Lille France Tip
Five matchdays into the season, Lille OSC are already ten points behind league leaders PSG. Meanwhile, although there is still a whole season to play, there are hardly any arguments in favour of “LOSC” defending their title. It is quite possible that the top-flight defending champions will even miss out on an international berth this season.
On the first five match days, the reigning champions only picked up one win. Lille even lost two of the five matches, including the last match against Lorient. This week, the next setback is already looming. Gourvennec’s team is at home to RC Lens, one of the most in-form teams in Ligue 1.
Racing Lens, in contrast to Lille, have already picked up nine points in the first five matchdays. The attack of the “Sang et Or” has been in top form and has already scored a total of ten goals. We therefore do not rule out the next offensive spectacle on Saturday evening and tend to expect a high-scoring encounter between the two clubs.
