Ligue 1 champions Lille will be keen to turn their fortunes around with a victory on Saturday afternoon when they welcome Angers to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Both sides head into this fixture after claiming just one point from their last nine available in the French top flight, which has seen them slip away from the top four.

Match preview

Lille bounced back from their 2-1 defeat against Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain last weekend when they came from behind to beat Sevilla by the same scoreline in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Lucas Ocampos had put the Spanish side in front in the 15th minute, however the visitors turned the game on its head when Jonathan David's 43rd-minute penalty kick was followed by a strike from Jonathan Ikone six minutes after the break, helping Les Dogues to claim their first three points in Group G.

Hopes of advancing into the last 16 remain alive for Jocelyn Gourvennec's men, as they have moved up to second in the group with two games left against Red Bull Salzburg and Wolfsburg.

Lille now turn their attention back to Ligue 1, where they have failed to win any of their last three games. Les Dogues will be seeking to avoid a winless run of four successive matches in the top flight for the first time since a spell between November and December in 2018.

However, Gourvennec should be confident of returning to winning ways against Angers, who they have beaten in four of their last five Ligue 1 meetings, scoring at least twice in each victory.

With 16 points separating Lille in 12th from PSG at the summit, ambitions of retaining their title seem a tall order, though a victory on Saturday would see them leapfrog Angers in the top half of the table, and they could climb to as high as seventh.

Angers' dip in form in the French top flight continued last weekend as they suffered a 2-1 home defeat against high-flying Nice.

Sofiane Boufal put the hosts in front from the penalty spot in the 29th minute, however the visitors managed to turn the game on its head thanks to a second-half brace from Andy Delort, including a 91st-minute winner.

That result means Gerald Baticle's men have failed to win any of their last three league matches despite leading on each occasion. A run of just one win in their last eight top-flight games means they have also slipped down to eighth in the table, four points behind the top four.

Since securing promotion to Ligue 1 in 2015-16, Angers have won three league matches away against Lille, their joint-highest tally of victories on the road against the same opponent during this period, alongside Bordeaux and Caen.

The Black and Whites have scored in each of their last seven away league matches, including all six this campaign, which is currently the longest scoring run on the road in the competition.

Victory on Saturday would see Angers climb into fifth place, if the three teams currently above them – Rennes, Lyon and Strasbourg – were all to drop points over the weekend.

Team News

Lille defender Sven Botman (groin) and goalkeeper Leo Jardim (neck) remain out with injuries, while experienced striker Burak Yilmaz will be assessed ahead of kickoff after missing the midweek clash with Sevilla due to illness.

Gourvennec is set to name the same back four of Zeki Celik, Jose Fonte, Tiago Djalo and Reinildo, who will shield goalkeeper Ivo Grbic.

Central midfielders Xeka and Yusuf Yazici will be hoping they can force their way into the first XI ahead of Benjamin Andre and Renato Sanches, while Timothy Weah will likely start again up front alongside David, who is in line to make his 50th Ligue 1 appearance.

As for Angers, they will still be without Abdoulaye Bamba (knee) and Zinedine Ould Khaled (thigh), while Sada Thioub is suffering with a sprained ankle.

Right wing-back Jimmy Cabot was able to play 74 minutes last weekend after recovering from a calf problem and will be in contention to start again on Saturday.

Angelo Fulgini will likely continue in the number 10 role behind 17-year-old forward Mohamed-Ali Cho and former Southampton winger Boufal, though striker Stephane Bahoken will also be pushing to start in attack.

Lille possible starting lineup:
Grbic; Celik, Fonte, Djalo, Reinildo; Ikone, Andre, Sanches, Bamba; David, Weah

Angers possible starting lineup:
Bernardoni; Manceau, Traore, Thomas; Cabot, Mangini, Mendy, Doumbia; Fulgini; Cho, Boufal

We say: Lille 2-1 Angers

Neither side have impressed over the last few weeks in Ligue 1 and they will be keen to return to winning ways here as they push for a place in the top four.

Goals from both teams are to be expected at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, though we feel that the hosts may build on their midweek victory in Europe with a narrow triumph on home soil this weekend.

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