Ligue 1 returns from the international break on Friday with one of the biggest fixtures in French football, as Lille and Lens will face off at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Bookmaker 10bet offers odds at 1.769 for both teams to score in the game, and the odds are at 1.95 for both sides not to score.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 28th, 2:00 P.M. (EST)
The 119th Derby du Nord will be played with only one point separating the two teams. Lille has lost a bit of momentum lately by winning only once in four outings but remains on track for a top-four finish, with Lens sitting sixth on the Ligue 1 table.
Games between the big rivals tend to be very tight affairs, and they have played out back-to-back 1-1 draws. Lille captain Benjamin Andre gave his side the lead in this season’s first meeting in October, but Deiver Machado came off the bench in the second half to rescue a draw for Lens.
Machado will miss the reverse fixture, and Lens will also be without Abdukodir Khusanov, who is suspended for the clash. Lille will be missing Samuel Umtiti, Andrej Ilic, Rafael Fernandes, and Tiago Morais due to injuries.
Lens has beaten Lille just once away from home since 2003 but visits Stade Pierre-Mauroy with an impressive run of road results. Before the break in action, Franck Haise’s side strung together a four-game unbeaten streak away from home, winning three of the matches and conceding only one goal.
Meanwhile, Lille boasts a nine-game unbeaten home run and has lost only once in the past 28 games in front of home support. With Jonathan David in top form, Les Dogues have scored multiple goals in four home matches in a row.
David has netted five straight goals for Lille at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, including a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Le Havre. 10 of David’s 15 Ligue 1 goals this season have come since the turn of the year, meaning Lens faces one of the in-form forwards in Europe on Friday.
The visitors boast a more versatile attack, with three players having scored at least five times for the team this season in Ligue 1. However, the side’s defense will need to step up on Friday following a pair of disappointing efforts in recent times. Both Nice and Monaco have scored three goals against Lens, and Haise will be demanding a much better performance at the back on Friday.
