French football’s top tier is back this week as we prepare for another set of electric Ligue One fixtures. We’re entering the month of February and while that may mean we’re still in the midst of the winter blues, the action on the pitch gives us plenty of cause for excitement. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be a fun clash between Lille and Clermont Foot.
Lille Form GuideWe are a few years removed from the heroics of Lille winning Ligue One and ever since then, they haven’t quite been able to sustain the momentum they built for themselves. That doesn’t mean they haven’t got a good base or a good squad - far from it. What it does mean, however, is that they need to start thinking outside of the box if they want to compete with the big boys.
When you go down to ten men just before half time, and it happens on the road, you simply have to try and hold on. That’s exactly what Lille did against Montpellier as they were able to cling on for a 0-0 draw last weekend.
Clermont Foot Form GuideClermont Foot had an incredible season last time out but if they want to avoid a relegation battle, they need to forget about the past and move forward to the future. They have a team that is more than capable of springing an upset if called upon, but that’s never been their problem. Their problem has been consistency and avoiding complacency, which is why we’re interested to see how they navigate the months ahead.
At home to Strasbourg, Clermont Foot went 1-0 down and were facing something of an uphill climb to get back into the game. Alas, they dug deep and managed to grab an equaliser, and they’ll probably feel unlucky to have only come away with a 1-1 draw.
Match PredictionLille are the superior side here and the result comes down to whether or not Clermont Foot can hang with them over the course of 90 minutes. In our view, they’re probably going to fall away in the second half, which is why we’re going to predict a Lille victory.
