It’s time for another set of Ligue 1 fixtures as we approach the seemingly never-ending month of January. There’s still so much to play for at both ends of the table and while some paths are clearer than others, French football’s top tier feels as unpredictable as it has in a long time. Today, we’re going to take a look at what should be a thrilling clash between Montpellier and Lille.
Montpellier Form GuideMontpellier have done some memorable things over the course of the last decade or so, establishing themselves as one of the most unpredictable clubs to watch in France. In equal measure, though, they’re coming off the back of a campaign that they’d rather forget - and we’re putting that very lightly. They need to mix things up if they want to climb back into European contention.
Following a win over Metz and a 1-1 draw with Marseille, Montpellier picked up a big 2-1 win over Amiens. They did go on to lose 2-0 to Brest on the road, but in the tenth round of the cup, they battered Feignies 4-0 in convincing fashion.
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.
After earning a 1-1 draw with PSG at home, Lille were beaten 2-1 by Strasbourg. They bounced back in a pretty tremendous way, though, dismantling Golden Lion 12-0 before picking up a 3-0 win over Lorient and a 1-0 triumph over Racing in the cup.
Match PredictionMontpellier and Lille are both talented sides in their own right and we think they’re going to bring their very best in a game of this nature. It’s going to be back and forth for the majority of the game, and the prediction we’re most confident in is over 2.5 goals scored.
