Saint-Etienne vs Lille prediction, preview, team news and more | Ligue 1 2021-22
Saturday sees Saint-Etienne play host to Ligue 1 champions Lille at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Saint-Etienne have drawn both of their Ligue 1 games in the current campaign, while Lille are coming off a bad loss to Nice.
Can the reigning champions get back on the winning track or will Saint-Etienne continue to pile on the misery this weekend?
Saint-Etienne vs Lille Head-to-Head
Saint-Etienne’s last game was an entertaining draw with Lens, although boss Claude Puel would probably have been disappointed with the final result. His side took the lead twice, only to be pegged back both times.
Prior to that, they picked up a 1-1 draw with Lorient on the opening day of the season, meaning they’re still waiting for a victory.
On the positive side, Tunisian forward Wahbi Khazri is already showing encouraging form, as he’s scored twice in as many games thus far this season.
Meanwhile, Lille suffered a truly embarrassing defeat at the hands of Nice last weekend. Not only were they beaten 0-4 at home, but to rub salt into the wounds, Nice are now managed by Christophe Galtier – the man who led Lille to the Ligue 1 title last season.
The reigning champions now find themselves in 18th place, and while the season is only two games old, the signs are worrying for Les Dogues. They have already conceded seven goals.
Interestingly, Saint-Etienne were one of the sides that Lille were unable to beat last season. Instead, they secured two draws against the eventual champions. However, Saint-Etienne have not beaten Lille since May 2018.
Saint-Etienne form guide (competitive games only): W-D-L-D-D
Lille form guide (competitive games only): W-D-W-D-L
Saint-Etienne vs Lille Team News
Saint-Etienne
Saint-Etienne will be without defender Aimen Moueffek, who is recovering from a broken arm. Charles Abi and Miguel Trauco are also expected to miss the game.
Injured: Aimen Moueffek
Doubtful: Charles Abi, Miguel Trauco
Suspended: None
Lille
Lille have two midfielders out with injuries at the moment, with Renato Sanches and Xeka ruled out of the game.
Injured: Renato Sanches, Xeka
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Saint-Etienne vs Lille Predicted XI
Saint-Etienne predicted XI (4-3-3): Etienne Green, Yvann Macon, Saidou Sow, Harold Moukoudi, Timothee Kolodziejczak, Mahdi Camara, Yvan Neyou, Lucas Gourna-Douath, Romain Hamouma, Wahbi Khazri, Denis Bouanga
Lille predicted XI (4-4-2): Leo Jardim, Zeki Celik, Jose Fonte, Sven Botman, Reinildo, Timothy Weah, Benjamin Andre, Yusuf Yazici, Jonathan Bamba, Jonathan David, Burak Yilmaz
Saint-Etienne vs Lille Prediction
Lille will be desperate to bounce back from their loss to Nice, but it won’t be easy. While Saint-Etienne have shown their defense is not very reliable, they are definitely capable of scoring goals.
Given that Lille’s confidence might be low after conceding four last weekend, it seems doubtful that their backline will manage a clean sheet here.
With that in mind, a third draw for Saint-Etienne feels like the most likely result.
Prediction: Saint-Etienne 1-1 Lille
Also See: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Neymar's role in Lionel Messi's transfer to PSG, Chelsea's transfer plans and more