Lille will be aiming to keep the pressure on Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain when they welcome Bordeaux to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy for Sunday's showdown.

In contrast, the visitors are in mid-table obscurity but have managed to amass seven points from their last three fixtures in the top flight.

Match preview

Lille had already secured their passage into the next round of the Europa League before they travelled to Celtic, but even then Christophe Galtier would have expected his side to come out on top in that dead rubber.

Neil Lennon is a man under immense pressure right now, but the Celtic manager witnessed his team come out on top in a five-goal thriller with Les Dogues, who ended up finishing second in the group after losing 3-2 in Glasgow.

However, that result will not dampen the Lille spirits too much as they are already safely through into the last 32, and Galtier's side will now aim to string a set of wins together after a run of inconsistent results in the top flight recently.

Les Dogues have only managed to win two of their last six in the top division, but holders PSG have experienced their own slip-ups and are only two points clear of second-placed Lille as things stand, and Galtier's men will temporarily go top with a win here before PSG face off against Lyon a few hours later.

Sunday's hosts are yet to fall to defeat on their own turf in Ligue 1 this season and have taken the spoils in five of their seven domestic outings at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy - scoring 15 and conceding just three goals in that time - and Galtier's side eked out a vital 2-1 win over Monaco last Sunday.

Bordeaux have also become renowned for their defensive resolve this season, with no team outside the top four shipping fewer goals than Les Girondins' 13 after the same number of matches.

Jean-Louis Gasset's men recorded their eighth shut-out of the season against Brest last weekend as they enjoyed a slender 1-0 victory in that game, with Hatem Ben Arfa grabbing the all-important winner last Sunday.

Despite sitting atop the rankings in the clean sheet charts, Bordeaux have not exactly been firing on all cylinders at the other end of the pitch - with the 13 goals that Les Girondins have notched up being the fewest out of any team in the top 12.

Furthermore, only two of Bordeaux's eight clean sheets this season have come on the road, although Gasset's men - who sit 10th in the table - did manage to hold PSG to a draw in the French capital two weeks ago.

Lille cruised to a 3-0 win when Bordeaux paid a visit in the only game between the two sides last season, and the visitors have only triumphed twice in their last 19 in all competitions on Les Dogues' turf.

Lille Ligue 1 form: DDLWDW
Lille form (all competitions): WDDWWL

Bordeaux Ligue 1 form: WLLWDW

Team News

Lille may finally have a recognised right-back available as Zeki Celik is nearing a return from a sprained ankle, and the defender has an outside chance of making the team here.

However, Celik's fellow right-back Jeremy Pied is expected to remain on the treatment table for a little while longer, while Adama Soumaoro and Luiz Araujo are also struggling to shake off problems and are unlikely to play.

Several changes are expected on the hosts' end from their defeat to Celtic, with the likes of Reinildo, Renato Sanches, Jonathan Bamba and Benjamin Andre all in line for returns to the first XI.

Bordeaux have few absentees to contend with, but Samuel Kalu has suffered another setback in his return from injury and will miss out again here.

Veteran defender Laurent Koscielny is nursing a muscular problem and did not take part in outdoor training on Friday, so Pablo and Paul Baysse should pair up in defence once again.

Gasset could opt to switch things up in attack given his side's lack of goals recently, with Remi Oudin and Jimmy Briand both pushing to be involved from the off.

Lille possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Djalo, Fonte, Botman, Reinildo; Ikone, Andre, Sanches, Bamba; David, Yilmaz

Bordeaux possible starting lineup:
Costil; Sabaly, Pablo, Baysse, Benito; Oudin, Basic, Otavio, Hwang; Ben Arfa, Maja

We say: Lille 2-0 Bordeaux

Bordeaux's defensive capabilities will certainly be put to the test against Lille, who are sure to be desperate to bounce back from their unexpected defeat to Celtic. Furthermore, with the prospect of Les Dogues topping the rankings by the close of play this weekend, we cannot look past Galtier's men on their own turf and are backing Lille to get the job done in convincing fashion.

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