The Gym travels to Lille this Friday evening (8:45 p.m.) to face the second-place team in Ligue 1. A challenging match awaits the Eagles, who will need to replicate their first-leg performance to trouble the Northerners.
LOSC has never really experienced a slowdown this season. With only 5 defeats and 13 victories, Christophe Galtier’s men have taken on the role of a tough team in Ligue 1. Notably victorious over Marseille (3-0), Saint-Etienne (3-1), and Rennes (3-1), PSG’s runner-up has 42 points. That’s one more point than in the 2010-2011 season, when the Northerners ended up winning the title.
“This team can really score at any time; it has the squad for it,” commented Patrick Vieira at a press conference this Thursday. “It’s currently the second-best team in our league. It’s also very balanced, and that shows in their results.”
LOSC boasts the 3rd best attack in the elite with 36 goals. Among its standout players, Nicolas Pépé stands out as a key performer. In 22 matches, he has provided 7 assists and scored 15 goals. While the Northerners also present a good defensive record (5th defense in the league with 22 goals conceded), they haven’t managed a clean sheet in their last 6 Ligue 1 games.
Christophe Galtier’s men have won all their matches in 2019: against Caen (1-3), Amiens (2-1), and Marseille (1-2) in Ligue 1, and against Sochaux (1-0) and Sète (0-1) in the Coupe de France. In the league, the Lillois have only been defeated twice in their last 10 outings. It was against Toulouse (1-2, on December 22) and… Nice (2-0, on November 25), after a match controlled by Patrick Vieira’s team. The second leg will see two in-form teams clash, as the Gym has only been defeated once in their last 12 Ligue 1 matches.
THE ABSENTEES
On the Lille side, no major absences are to be reported. The Lille squad will include 20 players.
Conversely, a few players are still missing from the Nice side. Ihsan Sacko is suffering from an ankle sprain and has thus joined Mickaël Le Bihan (knee tendinitis), Gautier Lloris (stress fracture in the vertebrae), and Yoan Cardinale (hamstring muscle injury) in the infirmary.
THE LILLOIS SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Maignan, Jakubech
Defenders: J. Fonte, Soumaoro, Celik, Pied, Dabila, Y. Koné, Gabriel
Midfielders: Soumaré, Xeka, T. Mendes, T. Maia, Ikoné
Forwards: Araujo, Leao, Pépé, Rémy, R. Fonte, Bamba
THE NIÇOIS SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Benitez, Clémentia
Defenders: Burner, Atal, Jallet, Coly, Hérelle, Dante, Sarr
Midfielders: Walter, Lees-Melou, Danilo, Tameze, Cyprien, Makengo, Sylvestre
Forwards: Ganago, Saint Maximin, Myziane, Srarfi.
THE REFEREE
Jérôme Miguelgorry has been appointed to officiate this match. He will be assisted by Eric Danizan and Christophe Mouysset.
