In Ligue 1 on Saturday, in-form Strasbourg host a Lille side reeling from losing their club-record unbeaten streak in midweek.
Both clubs have been in excellent form domestically over the past month or so, and both have European qualification in their sights.
Match preview
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For Strasbourg and their manager Liam Rosenior, qualifying for Europe would represent a phenomenal season, and if current results continue, that looks a real possibility.
After a run of five defeats in six league games, Strasbourg's form has been completely transformed, having now taken 11 points from their last five matches, following an impressive draw away at Marseille last week.
Only league leaders Paris Saint-Germain have taken more in that time (13), and it comes after the Alsace club managed just 13 points in their opening 13 games of the campaign.
Home form in particular has been crucial in their rise up the table, with just one defeat at the Stade de la Meinau this season, taking 15 points from eight games, their best tally at this stage of a Ligue 1 season in over two decades.
Strasbourg are still in the bottom half, but sit just three points off the top seven, which could be enough for European qualification at the end of the season.
However, their only home defeat of the season came against Monaco, and fellow Champions League participants Lille are up next, and will provide a huge test.
The hosts have won just two of their 12 home league matches against Lille in the 21st century, and even though they won the last meeting here back in 2023, they have not gone back-to-back since the 1990s.
Lille do enter the game on the back of their first defeat in four months though, ending a club-record 21-game unbeaten streak, losing 2-1 at Anfield to Liverpool in the Champions League.
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Despite going behind and being reduced to 10 men, Lille still battled back to equalise through Jonathan David, but a huge slice of misfortune saw them lose narrowly, with Liverpool's winner finding the net via a massive deflection.
That was Lille's first defeat in any competition since losing to Sporting Lisbon on matchday one back in mid-September, and they are still in the hunt for the top eight, as a win over Feyenoord could be enough next week.
Manager Bruno Genesio can still extend their unbeaten run in the league though, which now stands at 14 matches, just three shy of the club's longest ever in Ligue 1, set when they were reigning champions in 2011.
Getting more wins on the board is more important than simply keeping that unbeaten streak going though, because Lille have drawn four in a row on the road - their longest run for 17 years.
Nevertheless, last weekend did see them record an impressive 2-1 win over in-form Nice, to leapfrog Monaco into third, but this will be another big test, against a side playing at the top of their game.
Team News
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There are just two injury concerns for Strasbourg, with Thomas Delaine (knee) and Junior Mwanga (thigh) set to miss this encounter.
While not being a regular start by any means this season, Ukrainian full-back Eduard Sobol has still managed to hit the yellow card limit, meaning he will be unavailable for this one.
The hosts will hope that Chelsea allow Andrey Santos to remain at the club for the rest of the season, with his excellent form sparking rumours he could be recalled, after seven league goals this season, and an assist last weekend.
Lille will be without hugely influential duo David and Edon Zhegrova due to suspension and injury respectively, losing the source of over half of their league goals this season.
David has reached the yellow card, like defender Alexsandro, who will also miss out, but Aissa Mandi will be available despite being sent off in midweek, with the Algerian set to miss the Champions League clash with Feyenoord instead.
There are further absentees in defence too, with Samuel Umtiti and Tiago Santos both out with knee injuries, and on the wing, Mathias Fernandez-Pardo is also sidelined at present, due to an ankle issue.
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Doue, Sarr, Doukoure, Ouattara; Bakwa, Diarra, Andrey Santos, Lemarechal, Nanasi; Emegha
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Meunier, Mandi, Diakite, Ismaily; Andre, Andre Gomes, Angel Gomes; Bouaddi, Bayo, Sahraoui
We say: Strasbourg 1-1 Lille
Lille manager Genesio has only lost three of his 12 previous meetings against Strasbourg, but the Alsace club have not been playing at such a level for quite some time, and it should be a challenging evening for the visitors.
Now five games unbeaten, Strasbourg will fancy their chances of another result given their superb home form, and the fact that Lille enter the game on the back of a rare defeat.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
