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Saturday sees a Ligue 1 showdown between reigning champions Lille and Nice at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Both sides drew their opening games of the 2021-22 campaign, Lille with Metz and Nice with Reims, so both will be looking for a win to kick-start their seasons.
Can new Lille boss Jocelyn Gourvennec pick up his first league win or will Lille’s former boss Christophe Galtier lead Nice to victory over his old side?
Lille vs Nice Head-to-Head
Lille won the Ligue 1 title last season in a truly astonishing accomplishment given their lack of financial clout and the strength of Paris St. Germain. It was always going to be a hard act to follow, particularly when manager Christophe Galtier left the club.
Last weekend’s game against Metz was both encouraging and worrying at the same time. New boss Jocelyn Gourvennec oversaw a 3-3 thriller that saw Lille come from 3-1 down to equalize in the 97th minute.
It was a stirring end to the game, but Lille will need to improve dramatically if they are to somehow hold onto their title this season.
Galtier has moved on to Nice – Lille’s opponents this weekend. He oversaw a 0-0 draw with Reims last weekend, a game that was largely dominated by Nice who did everything but score.
Whether Galtier can inspire a higher finish for Nice than last season’s ninth place is up for debate, but we should at least find out a little about their chances in this game.
Last season saw Lille win this fixture 2-0 as they closed in on the title, although Nice did secure a 1-1 draw in their first meeting at the Allianz Riviera.
Lille form guide (competitive games only): W-W-D-W-D
Nice form guide (competitive games only): L-W-L-W-D
Lille vs Nice Team News
Lille
Lille have no injury issues coming into the game, but Portuguese defender Tiago Djalo was suspended following an altercation and a red card in a friendly game with Kortrijk in July.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Tiago Djalo
Nice
Nice have a handful of injuries to deal with coming into this game, with midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin and Alexis Claude Maurice both expected to miss out.
Injured: None
Doubtful: Morgan Schneiderlin, Alexis Claude Maurice, Calvin Stengs, Alexis Trouillet, Evann Guessand
Suspended: None
Lille vs Nice Predicted XI
Lille predicted XI (4-4-2): Leo Jardim, Zeki Celik, Jose Fonte, Sven Botman, Reinildo, Renato Sanches, Benjamin Andre, Yusuf Yazici, Jonathan Bamba, Jonathan Ikone, Burak Yilmaz
Nice predicted XI (4-4-2): Walter Benitez, Youcef Atal, Jean-Clair Todibo, Dante, Melvin Bard, Lucas da Cunha, Khephren Thuram, Pablo Rosario, Justin Kluivert, Kasper Dolberg, Amine Gouiri
Lille vs Nice Prediction
It's a tight match to call, particularly as Christophe Galtier knows his old side so well. Both teams have plenty of quality, but Lille probably have a slightly stronger side overall.
Despite this, Galtier will be desperate to defeat his old team here, meaning Nice will be willing to go the extra mile for success. With that in mind, a draw feels likely.
Prediction: Lille 2-2 Nice
