Lille looking to end five-game winless run as Le Havre clash looms.

2024-09-22

As Le Havre looks to break a frustrating winless streak against Lille and battle their scoring woes at home, both clubs aim to reverse recent fortunes in this intriguing Ligue 1 encounter at Stade Océane.

Le Havre

Le Havre will host Lille at the Stade Océane, looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats in Ligue 1. Despite responding to Monaco's early lead with a Daler Kuzyayev equalizer, they eventually suffered a second straight loss, leaving them with two wins and three defeats.

Currently 12th in Ligue 1 with 6 points, Didier Digard's side hopes to capitalize on Lille’s struggles to secure much-needed points. However, history is not on their side, as Lille has beaten Le Havre in their last five Ligue 1 meetings.

A sixth consecutive defeat could equal Le Havre’s longest winless streak against Les Dogues, dating back to their first six encounters between 1945 and 1951. Furthermore, Le Havre’s scoring woes at home are concerning, having not scored in their last four home games against Lille and conceding three goals in that span.

A fifth consecutive match without a goal would set an unwanted club record in Ligue 1. To turn their fortunes around, manager Digard is expected to field a 4-2-3-1 formation with Josué Casimir leading the attack.

Unfortunately, the team will be without Andy Logbo, who is sidelined with an ACL injury, and Yonis Gomis, who continues to recover from a knee injury.

LOSC Lille

Lille are keen on securing a turnaround as they have not won in their last five matches across all competitions, recording four losses and one draw. In their recent 3-3 draw against Strasbourg, Lille narrowly avoided defeat with a brace from Edon Zhegrova and a late penalty by Jonathan David.

Currently in 9th place with seven points from five games, Lille is aiming for a third Ligue 1 victory under manager Bruno Génésio. However, inconsistencies in their form remain a challenge.

A victory here is essential to boost Lille's morale before their upcoming UEFA Champions League encounter with Real Madrid. The team is expected to adopt a 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring Jonathan David as the lead attacker.

Lille faces challenges with several key players absent, including Nabil Bentaleb, who is out due to illness. Reflecting on the team's injury issues, Génésio humorously suggested, “Maybe we’ll go to Madrid with the reserve team to save ourselves for the derby,” in reference to their critical Champions League match against Atlético Madrid.