On Friday night, Lille host Monaco at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Ligue One, in a game that will affect both ends of the French top-flight table.
Lille are second in the French top-flight table but are a massive 17 points behind league leaders and reigning champions PSG. The home sides main priority is maintaining their form to hold off the challenge of the teams below them.
They do have some margin for error, though, as third-place Lyon are seven points adrift in the race to secure an automatic Champions League spot.
Lille heads into this clash on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run, in which they have recorded seven victories. Their recent league outings have been low scoring, with under 2.5 goals scored in their last five Ligue One matches. The fact that Lille have kept four clean sheets in their last five games has been a big factor in those recent low scoring matches.
The home side has suffered just one defeat in their last 17 Ligue One matches on home soil, and have won three of their last four league games at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
The return of Leonardo Jardim to Monaco as head coach has seen a change of fortunes for the club from the principality. The visitors are now six games unbeaten in Ligue One, having recorded three wins and three draws.
Last time out in Ligue One, Jardim’s side drew 1-1 with Bordeaux, a result which means that Monaco are now six points clear of the relegation play-off spot, and seven points clear of the relegation zone.
Despite a recent upturn in fortunes, the visitors away form has still been poor of late in Ligue One, as they have failed to win in five games on their travels.
Forebet predicts that Lille will record a narrow victory to end Monaco’s recent unbeaten run and consolidate their position in the leagues top-two.