Separated by three places and four points in the mid-season Ligue 1 rankings, Reims and Lille face off at the former's Stade Auguste-Delaune home on Saturday afternoon.
Will Still's men edged a tense battle with Le Havre 2-1 last time out, while Les Dogues fell to a 3-1 loss to Toulouse in their most recent affair.
Match preview
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Since shocking Monaco 3-1 for their first top-flight success of 2024, Reims had tried and failed on five occasions to follow up that Principality triumph, taking just two points from 12 on offer in the top division and also suffering Coupe de France heartache versus Sochaux on penalties.
However, the introduction of 22-year-old wing wizard Mohamed Daramy proved to be an inspired call from Still during last weekend's battle with Le Havre, in which the Danish youngster struck seconds after coming off the bench and again in injury time after Abdoulaye Toure had levelled for the newly-promoted outfit.
Daramy's heroics have reignited Les Rouges et Blancs' charge for the continental spots, as Saturday's hosts lie eighth in the rankings with just a two-point gap to make up to Lens in the Europa Conference League qualification spot, although faltering titans Marseille remain in touching distance too.
Not even a red card to Thomas Foket midway through the second period could thwart the Daramy-inspired Reims, whose next quest is to snap a three-game winless streak at home stretching back to December 20, a 1-0 triumph over - coincidentally - Le Havre.
However, with 10 successes already under their belt in the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season, Reims have achieved their most wins after 23 games of a campaign since the 1975-76 term, when they also posted 10 triumphs in as many matches and wound up in fifth place.
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Prior to taking his side to Toulouse's Stadium Municipal base on February 25, Lille coach Fonseca had already landed himself in hot water with Ligue 1 referees - incurring a ban for three bookings in the space of 10 games - and the Portuguese had nothing kind to say about the officials last weekend either.
Lille entered the break a goal to the good thanks to a Hakon Arnar Haraldsson effort on the stroke of half time, but a second-half fightback from Toulouse saw Christian Mawissa, Vincent Sierro and Thijs Dallinga send Les Dogues home empty-handed for the second away game running.
Fonseca was not barking orders from the touchline owing to his suspension, but the ex-Roma boss brought some bite to a fiery post-game press conference, presenting journalists with an image on his phone which he claimed showed Toulouse's third goal to be offside.
Regardless, the 2020-21 Ligue 1 champions' Champions League destiny is out of their own hands - Saturday's visitors sit fifth in the rankings with a two-point gap to close to Nice in fourth spot - and each of their last three away games in all tournaments has now ended in defeat.
History does not favour Fonseca's men either, as they have suffered three defeats and a draw from their last four showdowns with Reims in the French top flight, losing this exact fixture 1-0 last term before being bested 2-1 by Still's troops at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in September.
Team News
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Owing to his dismissal for a pair of bookable offences in the beating of Le Havre, Reims right-back Foket will serve a one-game suspension this weekend, forcing Still into an unwanted defensive alteration for the visit of Lille.
Nineteen-year-old Therence Koudou was brought on to reinforce the rearguard last weekend and is seemingly first in line to deputise for Foket, although fellow teenager Killian Prouchet is a more out-and-out central option.
Maxime Busi (thigh), Joseph Okumu (groin) and Adama Bojang (knee) remain unavailable to Still, who will almost certainly reinstate Daramy to the starting lineup, potentially in place of Reda Khadra.
As well as welcoming Fonseca back to the dugout following his ban, Lille will also have long-serving midfielder Benjamin Andre available again after his own yellow-card suspension; Nabil Bentaleb should make way for the skipper.
However, the visitors lost Remy Cabella (calf) and Tiago Morais (thigh) to fresh injuries before the loss to Toulouse, the pair joining Ivan Cavaleiro (groin), Samuel Umtiti (knee), Andrej Ilic (foot) and Rafael Fernandes (muscle) on the sidelines.
Cavaleiro might have returned to team training by the time Saturday's game commences, but Fonseca should not welcome any of his infirm troops back for the trip to Stade Auguste-Delaune.
Reims possible starting lineup:
Diouf; Koudou, Abdelhamid, Agbadou; Ito, Teuma, Munetsi, De Smet; Daramy, Diakite, Nakamura
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Santos, Yoro, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Andre, Gomes; Haraldsson, Yazici, Ounas; David
We say: Reims 1-1 Lille
Taking on the role as Lille's bogey team, a Reims side can extend their unbeaten streak versus their fellow European hopefuls on Saturday, even if the manner of their success versus Le Havre was far from convincing.
A draw may be the best that Still's men can hope for, though, as Lille's midfield stability will increase with the return of Andre, and Les Dogues have a knack for finding the net on the road.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
