In what will be the 100th meeting between the two across all competitions, Lille host Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday as matchday 16 of the Ligue 1 campaign comes to an end.
Les Dogues are fourth in the table after being held to a 0-0 draw at Clermont, while PSG maintained their four-point lead atop the standings thanks to a 2-1 victory over Nantes.
Match preview
© Reuters
Complacency got the better of Lille last weekend, as they conceded five efforts on target to the lowest-scoring side in Ligue 1 while failing to generate much themselves.
It was the seventh time domestically in 2023-24 that they had failed to defeat a side below them in the table, while they have dropped six points in Ligue 1 this season when leading in the second half.
While they have missed some opportunities to climb up the table, Lille are unbeaten in their last 14 matches in all competitions, topping their Europa Conference League group on Thursday with a 3-0 victory over Kl Klaksvik.
Since late November, Paulo Fonseca's men have been virtually impenetrable defensively, posting five successive clean sheets in all competitions.
Before the start of matchday 16, Lille are the team with the most points at home in Ligue 1 this year, with 43 so far in 2023.
Lille enter this contest having lost nine of their last 12 competitive fixtures versus Les Parisiens after going unbeaten in their previous 12 matches against them.
© Reuters
PSG kept their Champions League hopes intact thanks to a 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund this week, edging out AC Milan for second on goal difference.
With their place in the last 16 of that tournament now assured, Luis Enrique's men can shift their attention to Ligue 1, where they are unbeaten in 10 successive fixtures, including eight consecutive triumphs.
That is the best current run in the top five European leagues and their longest winning streak in this competition since Mauricio Pochettino guided them to 10 straight victories between May and September 2021.
While Lille are among the best home sides in the top flight, the Parisians have been the best visiting team, claiming a league-high 39 points this year.
They lead Ligue 1 with 38 goals so far this season, outscoring their previous four domestic opponents away from home by a combined margin of 11-3.
The league leaders have had their way with Lille of late, winning the last four top-flight meetings against them and netting a total of 18 times.
Team News
© Reuters
Tiago Djalo is not expected to return to the Lille lineup until late December due to an ACL injury, while Ivan Cavaleiro should be back from a thigh issue around that same time.
Lucas Chevalier has not conceded a goal in Ligue 1 since matchday 12 when his side played to a 1-1 draw with Toulouse, while his nine clean sheets this season are good for second in the league, one fewer than Marcin Bulka of Nice.
First-half strikes from Yusuf Yazici and Jonathan David in their last domestic encounter on home soil were enough to power them to a 2-0 victory over Metz.
Gianluigi Donnarumma will be suspended for another match following his red card in the early stages of their victory against Le Havre (2-0), and PSG will not have Sergio Rico at their disposal until late December due to a head injury.
Keylor Navas continues to recover from a back problem, while Fabian Ruiz remains sidelined because of a shoulder injury.
The leading goalscorer in Ligue 1, Kylian Mbappe is without a goal in his last two competitive fixtures, while Bradley Barcola and Randal Kolo Muani netted i their previous league triumph over Nantes.
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Santos, Yoro, Alexsandro, Ismaily; Bentaleb, Andre; Zhegrova, Gomes, Yazici; David
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Tenas; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pereira, Hernandez; Soler, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembele, Mbappe, Barcola
We say: Lille 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain
As solid as Lille have been defensively this season, it has been a while since they have gone up against an attack with as much quality as PSG, and we believe there will be too many weapons for Les Dogues' backline to contend with on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
