14 October 2021, 16:23 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
The French Ligue 1 fixture, Clermont Foot 63 vs. Lille OSC, kicks off at 16:00 (GMT+1) on Saturday, October 16, at the Stade Gabriel Montpied.
Preview Clermont Ligue 1, Oct 16, 2021
Preview Clermont picked up a 1-1 draw against Lorient on Matchday 9 at the Stade Yves Allainmat - Le Moustoir to go five games without a victory: LDLLD. Mohamed Bayo (15') had the visiting Clermont in the lead but Julien Laporte (54’) restored parity for Lorient minutes after the break. Picking up only two points from their last five games, the Ligue 1 newcomers remain in 15th place with 10 points after 2W, 4D, & 3L. Clermont have a decent average of 1.33 goals per game, and a haul of 12 goals after nine Ligue 1 appearances. But their undoing comes from the poor defending, which has seen them concede a total of 20 goals this season (an unimpressive average of 2.22 goals conceded per game), leaving the club with a goal difference of -8. Pascal Gastien will be on the hunt for a third win this season, but picking up three points from a resurging Lille would present a difficult task. Mohamed Bayo is expected to be at the top of his 4—2—3—1 formation once again for this game. The Guinea international has 5 goals to his name, coupled with two assists. In total, he has made a 58% contribution to all episodes that have led to a goal for Clermont Foot this season. The 23-year-old will look to extend his tally when Lille comes calling at the Stade Gabriel Montpied on Saturday. A fully fit squad awaits Pascal Gastien ahead of this fixture.
Preview Lille Ligue 1, Oct 16, 2021
Preview The French champions are in 8th place on the Ligue 1 table, having picked up 14 points from 4W, 2D, & 3L following the 2-0 win over ten-men Marseille on Matchday 9. With the brace against Marseille, Jonathan David (28’ & 90+5’) extended his goal tally to 6 and cemented his place at the top of the goal scorers' list for the club. Lille will return with three consecutive victories (LLWWW) ahead of this Matchday 10 fixture against Clermont. With 13 goals after nine Ligue 1 games, LOSC are left with an average of 1.44 goals scored per game. Les Dogues have conceded 14 goals (an average of 1.56 goals-per-match), and have a G.D. of -1. After a slow start to the season, Jocelyn Gourvennec appears to be making his mark as Lille continues the steady climb up the Ligue 1 table. Les Dogues could line up in the familiar 4—4—2 formation once again. The duo consisting of Jonathan David and Burak Yilmaz, who was on target for Turkey in the World Cup qualifying 2-1 win over Latvia, is expected in attack.