Lille and Slovan Bratislava are set to battle it out for the top position in Group A of the Europa Conference League at Decathlon Arena on Thursday night.
Both teams have remained unbeaten in their first two matches of the group stage, making this clash a highly anticipated one.
Match Preview
Lille recently extended their unbeaten streak to four matches across all competitions with a narrow 1-0 victory against Brest in Ligue 1.
Yusuf Yazici’s sixth-minute goal proved to be the decisive moment of the match.
Currently sitting fourth in the French top flight, Lille is only five points behind league leaders Monaco and three points behind reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
In their most recent Conference League game, Lille faced frustration as they failed to score against KI Klaksvik despite dominating possession.
However, they still managed to collect four points from their opening two group-stage matches, placing them second in Group A.
Slovan Bratislava, on the other hand, has been on a winning streak, securing victories in their last eight matches across all competitions.
Their impressive form includes a 2-1 win over Klaksvik in their first Conference League game and a one-goal victory over Olimpija Ljubljana in their second match.
Currently sitting at the top of Group A with six points, Slovan Bratislava faces a tough challenge from Lille in the upcoming fixtures.
This will be only the third time Bratislava faces a club from France, with their previous encounters against PSG during the 2011-12 Europa League group stage resulting in undefeated matches for the Parisians.
Team news
Lille will be without centre-back Tiago Djalo due to injury, while Slovan Bratislava is expected to field a similar lineup to their recent victory in the Slovakian Super Liga.
Key players to watch include Lille’s Jonathan David, who will be looking to add to his goal tally in the Conference League, and Slovan Bratislava’s Juraj Kucka, who provided two assists in their last match.
Predicted Starting Lineups:
Lille:
Chevalier;
Diakite, Yoro, Ribeiro, Ismaily;
Andre, Bentaleb;
Zhegrova, Yazici, Cavaleiro;
David
Slovan Bratislava:
Borjan;
Blackman, Bajric, Kashia, Wimmer, Lovat;
Barseghyan, Kucka, Kankava;
Zmrhal, Cavric
Prediction
We anticipate a 2-0 victory for Lille, as they aim to claim the top spot in Group A after their draw against Klaksvik.
Despite Slovan Bratislava’s recent success, we believe their winning streak will come to an end against a strong Lille side.