PICK OF THE DAY
Lille - Nice
Tip : GG (both to score)
Odd : 1.90
FT : 1:1 WIN!!!
When Marco Bielsa, a manager who has nurtured some of the best coaching talent in the game, was appointed head coach at Lille in the summer, there was a real buzz surrounding the club from Northern France, but that buzz quickly turned to despair. With Bielsa now gone, Lille are aiming to get back on track, though, that is proving to be easier said than done. A win on Wednesday would likely see Lille go into the winter break outside of the drop-zone but again, given their recent form, it’s not easy to see the hosts coming out on top.
Like their opponents here, Nice, who finished in a lofty third position last campaign, were also expected to scale the heights this season, but they too have found life in Ligue 1 tough. A run of good results means things have improved of late.
Defending has been the main problem for both this season; neither have been able to consistently keep teams at bay. Keeping this in mind, it’s easy to see this game turning into one that sees both teams profit going forward. ‘Both Teams to Score’ is the standout selection.
Scoring goals certainly hasn’t been a problem for Nice of late, as they’ve notched at least one goal in each of their last five Ligue 1 matches. With the likes of Mario Balotelli, the enigmatic striker who has scored 10 goals in the league this season, in their ranks, Lucien Favre’s men will always be a threat. Having said that, the Italian forward is suspended for this match, but Nice aren’t short on alternatives. Against a Lille team who’re simply finding it too hard to keep teams out, the visitors should thrive going forward. However, it would be no surprise if Nice came up short defensively. Favre’s side did keep a clean sheet last time out, but it was their first in nine matches. Playing away from home has brought this side little joy defensively, as they’ve conceded in all but one of their eight away matches.
Lille are a side who’ve struggled for goals at times, but the fact that Nice have conceded plenty on the road should spur the hosts on. What’s more, the home side should be favoured by the fact that Nice are a team who won’t simply sit back, which could bring the counter-attack into the play – a tactic that has, on occasion, helped Lille this season. What’s more, despite failing to score at the weekend, Lille did create some promising opportunities, while they had scored in four straight prior to that.
All things considered, even though it is the visitors who’ve shown that bit more in terms of quality in recent weeks, both teams are expected to have what it takes to each register on the score-sheet.
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