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Saturday sees Ligue 1 champions Lille play host to Ligue 2 outfit Auxerre at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in the Coupe de France round of 64.
Lille are currently 11th in the Ligue 1 table, while Auxerre are 3rd in Ligue 2 and are pushing hard for a promotion spot.
So will Lille send them packing out of the cup, or will Auxerre pull off an upset?
After a bit of a sticky start to the current Ligue 1 season, reigning champions Lille have picked up their form somewhat in recent weeks.
They’re now unbeaten in their last six games, and although they’ve won just two of them, they’re now only three points from the top five places.
Lille’s form in Europe has also been impressive as they came out on top of their UEFA Champions League group and will now face holders Chelsea in the round of 16.
Auxerre meanwhile are flying high in Ligue 2 after winning nine of their first 18 matches, scoring 30 goals in the process.
They’ve lost just twice in their last 15 competitive games, although their defense is a genuine concern, having conceded more goals than any other side in Ligue 2’s top seven.
Lille vs Auxerre Head-to-Head
The two teams have met 64 times across competitions in the past. Auxerre have more than double the wins than Lille (33-17). There have 16 draws in this fixture.
Lille have not faced off against Auxerre since the 2012-13 season. Their most recent meeting ended in a 1-0 win for Auxerre in extra time in the Coupe de la Ligue.
Lille form guide: D-W-W-W-D
Auxerre form guide: W-D-W-L-W
Lille vs Auxerre Team News
Lille
Timothy Weah and Leo Jardim are expected to miss out on this game for Lille due to injuries.
Injured: Timothy Weah, Leo Jardim
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Auxerre
Midfielder Ousoumane Camara is out for Auxerre with a long-term ligament injury.
Injured: Ousoumane Camara
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Lille vs Auxerre Predicted XI
Lille predicted XI (4-4-2): Jules Raux, Zeki Celik, Jose Fonte, Sven Botman, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Angel Gomes, Xeka, Renato Sanches, Yusuf Yazici, Jonathan David, Burak Yilmaz
Auxerre predicted XI (4-1-4-1): Donovan Leon, Carlens Arcus, Jubal, Alexandre Coeff, Quentin Bernard, Birama Toure, Lassine Sinayoko, Hamza Sakhi, Mathias Autret, Gaetan Perrin, Gaetan Charbonnier
Lille vs Auxerre Prediction
Auxerre are one of Ligue 2’s better sides and should be able to provide a test for Lille this weekend. However, the gulf in quality between these teams should be plain to see.
Lille’s defense should be strong enough to prevent any major attacks from Auxerre, while the same cannot be said for the other way around.
So expect a win for Lille in this one.
Prediction: Lille 3-0 Auxerre
