Lille vs PSG

Stade Pierre-Mauroy is the venue as Lille and PSG go head-to-head in a Ligue 1 top-four six-pointer.

Lille’s attention switches back to Ligue 1 following a 3-0 thumping of Klaksvik in midweek Europa Conference League action, a result that catapulted them directly into the round of 16. Back to the French top flight, where they sit fourth, three points adrift of third-placed Monaco, following a nine-game unbeaten league run (W5, D4), ‘Les Dogues’ brace themselves for a 100th competitive encounter against PSG (W32, D25, L42). Despite losing their last two showdowns at Stade Pierre-Mauroy by an aggregate score of 12-2, Paulo Fonseca’s men are likely to avoid another humiliating result, courtesy of a rock-solid defense that has kept five clean sheets in seven home league matches this season (W5, D1, L1). But scoring could prove a problem, considering they’ve barely averaged over 1.00 goals per home Ligue 1 game thus far.

On the other hand, Paris Saint-Germain fought back at Signal Iduna Park to hold Borussia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw in midweek Champions League football and progress into the knockouts as Group F runners-up. While Paris’ European campaign has stuttered, they’ve been impressive in Ligue 1 after a bumpy start, stringing together an eight-game winning league run for the first time in two years. Luis Enrique’s tenure is picking up steam, with the reigning holders moving four points clear of closest followers Nice, also thanks to their formidable seven-game form on the road (W5, D2). Not only are ‘Les Parisiens’ the only unbeaten away side in Ligue 1, but they’ve also averaged a league-high 2.3 goals per top-flight trip, highlighting the potential for another emphatic result in Lille’s backyard.