Montpellier HSC vs. Lille – preview and prediction – team news, and lineups
Montpellier HSC vs Lille – Lille returns to play today when they travel to Stade de la Mosson to face Montpellier HSC, following a humiliating home loss to the reigning Ligue 1 champions last weekend.
La Paillade crumbled late in their previous match, losing 3-1 to bottom-placed Saint-Etienne, while Les Dogues conceded five goals in a domestic match for the first time since the 2019-20 season, losing 5-1 to Paris Saint-Germain.
Montpellier HSC vs Lille – Team News
Cameroon’s Ambroise Oyongo struck the game-winning penalty to help his country upset Burkina Faso and win bronze at the Africa Cup of Nations last weekend. Stephy Mavididi, the team’s leading scorer, is out with a knee injury, Maxime Esteve is still dealing with thigh troubles, while Thibault Tamas and Pedro Mendes are both rehabilitating from ACL injuries.
Elye Wahi has scored the first goal in each of his club’s last two domestic matches, putting him in second place on the squad with six goals, one more than Florent Mollet, while Teji Savanier, the captain, has become one of the team’s top playmakers with six assists.
In that match, Jose Fonte set up the opening goal for Lille against Montpellier, albeit the Turkish midfielder is presently on loan at CSKA Moscow, and Jonathan David, the league’s second highest striker, scored the winner.
Hatem Ben Arfa, who signed a six-month contract with the defending French champions before the winter transfer window closed, made his first start for the club last weekend, alongside David, while Burak Yilmaz, the club’s top scorer last season with 16 goals, has only found the back of the net four times this season.
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Omlin; Ristic, Sakho, Thuler, Souquet; Leroy, Chotard, Ferri, Mollet; Wahi, Germain
Lille possible starting lineup:
Grbic; Celik, Fonte, Botman, Gudmundsson; Weah, Onana, Andre, Gomes; Ben Arfa, David
Montpellier HSC vs Lille – Head-to-Head
Our Prediction: Over 1.5 Goals
Lille were humbled by the league leaders last weekend, and we believe that result will serve as motivation for them to get their act together. Add to that the fact that three of their next four competitive fixtures will be away from home, where they have only lost once in their previous five domestic encounters, and all signs point to a win for this team.
Montpellier are rarely shut out, but they have lost their cool in crucial moments, which might damage them as they try to contain one of Ligue 1’s most dangerous strikers.
