Create a good starting position for Slávisté

Two places in the 2024/25 Champions League, which is being played in the league system for the first time, are still up for grabs. In the clash between Lille and Slavia Prague, betting on the Dogues’ eighth appearance in the Champions League main round is much more popular. However, the Czechs already proved that they are an opponent to be taken seriously with two wins against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the previous round

Slavia Prague also travel to the north of France in extremely good form. The Červenobílí have already played five league games and two matches in the Champions League qualifiers in 2024/25 and have remained unbeaten in all seven games (six wins, one draw). Consequently, Lille’s prediction of a win against Slavia Prague at home to the Dogues at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy is not a foregone conclusion

Nonetheless, two aspects point to a one-sided affair. Firstly, the LOSC have won their two competitive matches against the Slávisté with a total of 8:2 goals. And secondly, with a total market value of the senior squad estimated at around 240 million euros, the northern French side weigh in at around three times the amount of the Czech runners-up, so there is certainly a difference in quality.

However, the Dogues will certainly come up against an opponent with a perfect defensive set-up, whose defense will have to be cracked first, especially as Angel Gomes, an important creative player, is out. In what is unlikely to be a high-scoring game, we therefore recommend the combined bet on the double chance 1X at under 3.5 goals. If you are not afraid of the risk, you can also place a direct bet on the Northern French at Winamax, where you can currently get up to €100 in freebets, at odds of 1.78. Without a home win in the first leg, it will certainly be very difficult for them to advance to the main round of the Champions League.

Lille – statistics & current form

OSC Lille finished the 2023/24 season in fourth place in the Ligue 1 final table and can therefore once again aspire to play in the Champions League. The Dogues last qualified automatically for the 2021/22 season after their sensational championship in the summer of 2021, but were defeated by Chelsea FC in the round of 16.

It was the Northern French side’s seventh appearance in the main round of Europe’s most important competition for club teams and only the second time that the LOSC had managed to survive the group stage. This time, however, they would go straight into the league system

Lille recently eliminated Fenerbahce

Whether Bruno Génésio’s team, who took over as coach in the Flemish capital this summer, will be part of this reformed Champions League or not will now be decided within a week in the two clashes with the Czech runners-up.

At least in the first leg between Lille and Slavia Prague, the betting on a home win for the Northern French is under a good star. Not only have the Dogues already beaten a difficult opponent in Fenerbahce, but they also celebrated a successful start to Ligue 1 at the weekend

Lille will be without Angel Gomes

The LOSC won 2-0 away at Stade Reims to make a perfect start to the season, but it cost the club dearly. Angel Gomes – one of the lynchpins in the creative center – was knocked out after just ten minutes of the game with a shoulder hit, after which the game had to be interrupted for over half an hour.

The 23-year-old is doing well again. However, he will not be an option in the important first leg of the play-offs against Slavia Prague, which will definitely weaken the Dogues. The club, which already operates out of a defensive five-man backline, will find it even more difficult to break through the Czech defensive bulwark.

Predicted Lille line-up:
Chevalier – Ismaily, Ribeiro, Diakité, Mandi, Santos – Sahraoui, André, Mukau, Cabella – David

Slavia Prague – statistics & current form

The Sportovní Klub Slavia Prague has existed since 1892 and is one of the figureheads of Czech soccer. The Červenobílí last won the national championship in the summer of 2021.

As the reigning runners-up, the Slávisté can still compete in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League. So far, the team with the distinctive star in the club logo has only managed to reach the main round in the 2007/08 and 2019/20 seasons

Impeccable start to the season for Slavia Prague

The top bookmakers’ odds on Lille v Slavia Prague are still against the Czechs progressing. However, a third qualification for the main round of the top flight is not completely out of the question. After all, Červenobílí could hardly have got off to a better start under their long-serving coach Jindřich Trpišovský.

Five match days have already been played in the Czech top flight. After a 0-0 draw at Slovácko to open the season, they have won four in a row with a 9-1 scoreline. With 13 points out of a possible 15, the Slávisté are now very close to their city rivals Sparta Prague, who will also play in the play-offs on Wednesday for a place in the Champions League

Slavia Prague with convincing results on foreign pitches

The Červenobílí had already impressed in the final qualifying round, when they swept Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, the Belgian near-champions, out of the competition with two wins and a total of 4:1 goals. After the 3:1 home win, they even won the away game in Belgium 1:0.

This also continued the upward trend on foreign pitches. Slávisté have won three of their last four European away games this season (one defeat), which is a really strong record.

Predicted Slavia Prague line-up:
Kinsky – Zima, Ogbu, Holes – Diouf, Dorley, Zafeiris, Masopust – Provod, Schranz – Chory

Lille – Slavia Prague head-to-head / H2H result

Head to head: 2 – 0 – 0

Both teams once faced each other in the group stage of the Europa League in the 2009/10 season. After the Dogues celebrated a brilliant 5:1 away win in the Czech Republic, they also won the second leg in the north of France 3:1 against Slavia Prague. Lille thus take a commanding lead in the direct comparison

Lille – Slavia Prague betting tip

All in all, our predictions for Lille v Slavia Prague lean towards the northern French side, who go into this first leg with the better quality squad and home advantage. However, the Czech runners-up proved that Červenobílí are no pushovers with their two victories over Union Saint-Gilloise in the previous qualifying round. The Slávisté have also won three of their last four European away games (one defeat) and travel to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in very good form after winning six and drawing one of their first seven competitive games of the 2024/25 season

If the Czechs manage to break down the Dogues’ offense, the question arises as to how much the French are willing to risk in the first leg without Gomes. In this context, the betting on a low-scoring and presumably very close first leg, in which the Slávisté will be looking for a good starting position for the second leg, is very popular