Our prediction for this Ligue 1 match:
Lille
Match Time & Date:
20/08/2023
13:00
Prediction: 2-0
Nantes
Lilles play host to Nantes at their Stade Pierre-Mauroy in their first home game of the season. Les Dogues played out a 1-1 draw with Nice in their opener, with Bafode Diakitie saving one point in the dying minutes of the match. Both Adam Ounas and Samuel Umtiti are out of contention with injuries, while talented midfielder Angel Gomes is pushing for a recall to the starting XI.
Les Canaris, on the other hand, failed to impress in a 2-1 loss to Toulouse, and seeing that they often struggle on the travels, we believe that there is a big value in betting on Lille. Remy Descamps is banned for the match, while fellow goalkeeper Alban Lafont misses out with a broken rib. In their last encounter at the venue Lille defeated Nantes 2-1, which is yet another reason why we are going to bet on the home side.
Highlighted Player (Alban Lafont):
Alban Lafont is a French goalkeeper who plays for Ligue 1 side Toulouse. Born in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Lafont joined AS Lattoise youth school at the age of nine and he stayed at the academy until 2014 when he moved to Toulouse.
The 193-cm-tall goalkeeper has established himself as a first-choice goalkeeper at Toulouse and it has to be noted that he made 36 appearances for the club in the 2016/2017 season, keeping 10 clean sheets in the process. Due to his dual citizenship, Alban Lafont is eligible to represent both Burkina Faso and France on international stage, but he has yet to play for the African team.
Alban Lafont represented les Tricolores at youth level and, no doubt, there is a bright future ahead of the talented shoot-stopper who was born on January 23, 1999. The rising star has a contract with Toulouse which expires on June 30, 2020.
Highlighted Team (Lille):
Lille have been playing an important role in French football ever since they were founded in 1944. Les Dogues won their first domestic trophy in the 1945/1946 season.
Lille did well to win their second Ligue 1 title in 1954 and 57 years later they lifted their last domestic title. Les Douges finished the 2010/2011 season in top position in the standings, eight points clear of second-placed Olympique Marseille and it has to be noted that Lille attacker Moussa Sow won the Golden Boot (25 goals).
Lille are one of the two teams that managed to win three consecutive Coupe de France trophies (1946, 1947, 1948), but they have yet to clinch the Coupe de la Ligue title. Les Dogues faced PSG in the 2015/2016 Coupe de la Ligue trophy, but les Parisiens proved to be a big catch for Frederic Antonetti’s team in the title game.
Lille play their home matches at Stade Pierre-Mauroy and the capacity of the stadium is 50.186. The venue was opened in August, 2017 and the construction cost €282 million.
