In their final Champions League act of the year, French side Lille will be at home to take on their Austrian compatriots Sturm Graz.
This match will be a reunion of sorts for the two teams, having met in the third tier of European football last season. Back then it was les Dogues who prevailed against the Blackies, winning 4-1 on aggregate. We have a prediction below for this latest match between the two.
In light of their good start to the campaign, Lille are only kept outside the top eight by goal difference. In the opening five matches, they’ve garnered 10 points, which is seven more than their opponents.
Sturm Graz had a false start to the competition and only managed their first win on Match Day 5. Considering their performance against Lille last season, as well as their performances against French opposition, Sturm Graz will be underdogs here. Sturm Graz are winless in five away matches against French opposition.
Given that they put in masterful performances to earn a sparkling 10 points from 12 on offer in extremely tough clashes with Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, as well as Serie A sides Juventus and Bologna, it would be a real shock if LOSC Lille tripped up on the easiest of tests.
We believe that such a scenario will not happen, because the Mastiffs are ready to solve Wednesday’s European assignment in a routine manner and strengthen their push for a top-eight spot in the league phase.
Otherwise, LOSC Lille set the tone at Stade Pierre-Mauroy during their weekend Ligue 1 clash, strolling past Stade Brestois with a dominant 3-1 victory and stretching their imposing unbeaten run to 14 matches across all competitions (W8 D6).
The visitors from Graz travel to northern France in high spirits after winning four of their last five games, but their track record in European visits does not bode well for them, having been beaten in 11 of their 14 trips at this level, including both this season.
Based on everything, we expect a confident LOSC Lille to capitalize on all advantages, including their home-ground edge, and claim maximum points that could even propel them into the top eight. So we’re backing the Ligue 1 side to live up to their role as favorites as expected.
