Strasbourg vs RC Lens prediction, preview, team news and more | Ligue 1 2020-21
Fresh off a 1-0 loss to Stade Rennais, Strasbourg aim to bounce back to winning ways when they welcome Lens to the Meinau Stadium on Sunday.
The visitors come into this tie on the back of an impressive eight-game unbeaten run in Ligue 1, and they will be aiming to keep this run going.
Strasbourg’s four-game unbeaten run was brought to an end as they fell to a shock defeat against an out-of-sorts Stade Rennais side last Sunday.
Benjamin Bourigeaud’s 25th-minute strike was all that separated both sides as Bruno Genesio’s men grabbed a 1-0 win to snap their six-game losing streak.
Despite Sunday’s result, Thierry Laurey’s men have been in resurgent form. They have picked up five wins and four draws from 12 league games since the turn of the year.
Les coureurs’ recent rejuvenation saw them move into 15th place, seven points clear of the automatic dropzone.
Lens, meanwhile, are enjoying a magnificent start to life in the French top-flight. The Bollaert-Delelis outfit clinched automatic promotion after finishing as runners-up in the second tier last term.
With 12 wins and 19 draws from 29 games, Franck Haise’s men are pushing for a place in Europe as they occupy sixth position in the log.
The new boys have not tasted defeat in their last eight league matches, dating back to a 1-0 loss to OGC Nice in January.
They will travel to the Meinau Stadium as the fourth-best team on the road this season, picking up 25 points from 15 away games so far.
Strasbourg vs RC Lens Head-To-Head
In 18 meetings, Strasbourg have picked up five wins, while Lens have won on six different occasions. The remaining seven games have ended all square.
However, the hosts are unbeaten in their last three meetings. They will now aim to do a league double over Sunday’s visitors this season.
One goal proved to be enough as Habib Diallo's first-half strike handed Les coureurs a 1-0 win in January’s reverse fixture.
Strasbourg Form Guide (all competitions): W-D-D-W-L
RC Lens Form Guide (all competitions): W-D-W-L-D
Strasbourg vs RC Lens Team News
Strasbourg
Strasbourg come into this clash with a relatively long injury list. They will be without the services of Alexander Djiku, Mohamed Simakan and Lebo Mothiba.
Veteran midfielder Dimitri Lienard is also a doubt for the hosts after taking ill in midweek.
Injured: Alexander Djiku, Mohamed Simakan and Lebo Mothiba
Suspended: None
RC Lens
Ignatius Ganago will sit out this one as he is sidelined with a muscle injury. Other than that, Franck Haise has the luxury of a fully-fit squad to choose from on Sunday.
Injured: Ignatius Ganago
Suspended: None
Strasbourg vs RC Lens Predicted XI
Strasbourg predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Eiji Kawashima, Lamine Kone, Stefan Mitrovic, Lionel Carole, Frederic Guilbert, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Dimitri Lienard, Anthony Caci, Adrien Thomasson, Ludovic Ajorque, Habib Diallo
RC Lens Predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Jean-Louis Leca, Jonathan Gradit, Loic Bade, Facundo Medina, Jonathan Clauss, Yannick Cahuzac, Seko Fofana, Massadio Haidara, Tony Mauricio, Florian Sotoca, Arnaud Kalimuendo
Strasbourg vs RC Lens Prediction
Strasbourg have found their feet this year, grabbing impressive results and avoiding relegation scraps. However, they take on a high-flying Lens side who are unbeaten in their last eight league games.
Despite Strasbourg’s recent record against Lens, we fancy the visitors to continue their fine form and grab all three points in this encounter.
Prediction: Strasbourg 1-2 RC Lens