Our prediction for this Ligue 1 match:
Lille
Match Time & Date:
02/04/2023
13:00
Prediction: 2-0
Lorient
Lille and Lorient face each other at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in the opening match of Sunday’s program. Les Dogues defeated Toulouse 2-0 before the international break to move closer to the Conference League berth, and they are seen as favourites to beat les Merlus at home as well. Experienced midfielder Andre Gomes is banned for the match, while all Ismaily, Bafode Diakite, and Tiago Djalo are out of contention with injuries.
The visitors, on the other hand, are undefeated in the previous three league fixtures, but given their difficulties on the road, we believe that there is a big value in betting on Lille. As for the visiting side, defender Igor Silva misses out through suspension, while all Bonke Innocent, Gedeon Kalulu, Julien Laporte, and Yvon Mvogo remain in the recovery room. In their last meeting at the venue les Dogues defeated les Merlus 3-1.
Highlighted Player (Jose Fonte):
Born in Penafiel in 1983, Jose Miguel Da Rocha Fonte spent his early career in the lower divisions of the Portugal’s league system, and while he did join giants Benfica in 2006, he never made a single league appearance for the Eagles.
The loan spell with Crystal Palace proved crucial for the towering defender as he later secured a permanent move to Selhurst Park, performing well in three Championship campaigns. Fonte then surprised everyone when he joined League One side Southampton, but that would prove to be the best decision he has ever made, as he helped the Saints return to the Premier League before establishing himself as one of the leading central defenders in the elite division.
Rated for his aerial ability, but also quite capable on the ground, Jose Fonte even caught the eye of England’s top clubs, although a big club move never materialised for him. The late bloomer eventually played himself into the first team plans of Portugal coach Fernando Santos, making his Selecao debut at the age of 30.
Highlighted Team (Lorient):
Founded back in 1926, Lorient is a French football club that competes in Ligue 1. Les Merlus have yet to win the Ligue 1 trophy, but they did well to go all the way in the Coupe de France in the 2001/02 season. In the title game, Lorient defeated Bastia thanks to Jean-Claude Darcheville’s goal.
The same season les Merlus made it to the Coupe de la Ligue final, but Bordeaux proved to be a big catch (0-3) for them in the title game. Lorient welcome their rivals at Stade du Moustoir, the stadium which can hold up to 16,392 spectators. The colour of the team’s home shirt is orange with a little black on it, while white is the dominant colour of their away jersey. In the 2002/03 season Lorient represented France in European competitions.
Les Merlus, though, failed to impress on their debut in the UEFA Cup as they were beaten by Denizlispor in the round 1 double-header.
