Looking to boost their chances of avoiding the dreaded drop, Angers will battle for three points on Sunday afternoon, when Lille visit Stade Raymond Kopa in Ligue 1.
Le SCO suffered a narrow defeat at the base of Nice last time out, whilst Les Dogues managed a comfortable 3-1 success on home soil versus a mid-table dweller.
Match preview
© Imago
Following a second-placed finish in Ligue 2 during the 2023-24 campaign - securing automatic promotion to the top table of French football - Angers are now aiming to avoid an immediate relegation, with Sunday afternoon's hosts set for a nervous end to the current term.
Le SCO have lost six of their last seven top-flight clashes after their latest contest last weekend, when goals either side of the half-time whistle from Pablo Rosario and Ali Abdi were enough to secure maximum points for Champions League-chasing Nice at Allianz Riviera.
Earning a mere three points across a woeful seven-game spell, Angers are currently occupying a lowly 15th position in the Ligue 1 standings ahead of this weekend's hosting of Lille, just three points above relegation candidates Le Havre and Saint-Etienne in 16th and 17th respectively.
Le SCO are hardly untouchable on their own patch - winning just one of their last six matches at Stade Raymond Kopa in the top flight - although their most recent Ligue 1 contest at the venue ended in success on April 13, when a brilliant brace from Esteban Lepaul bested whipping boys Montpellier HSC.
Plying his trade in the third tier of French football under 18 months ago at Epinal, 25-year-old Lepaul has enjoyed a swift rise to the upper echelons of the pyramid in recent times, with the attacker leading Angers' Golden Boot race, boasting seven top-flight strikes in 24 appearances.
© Imago
After earning a spot in the qualification rounds of the Champions League last season courtesy of a fourth-placed finish in Ligue 1, Lille are looking to go one better this time around and secure automatic entry into the league phase of UEFA's elite club competition for 2025-26.
Les Dogues' hopes of placing inside the top three of French football were boosted significantly in recent times by back-to-back league victories for the first time since February, with Sunday afternoon's visitors to Angers defeating both Toulouse and Auxerre ahead of a trip to Stade Raymond Kopa.
Rather unsurprisingly, Canadian sensation Jonathan David had his fingerprints all over a successful afternoon at Allianz Riviera last time out, when the 25-year-old found the net twice and provided an assist for Thomas Meunier during a 3-1 triumph over Christophe Pelissier's side.
Winning three of their most recent quartet of top-flight fixtures, Bruno Genesio's men are within striking distance of a Champions League spot with four games left to play in the league campaign, one point behind Monaco in third and two points back from Marseille, who are sitting in second place.
Earning 20 points across 15 Ligue 1 outings this term, Les Dogues have hardly set the world alight on the road, but they do have a sturdy defence to rely on, with only Will Still's Lens (15) conceding fewer than Lille's 16 goals in away matches during the 2024-25 campaign.
Team News
© Imago
Angers remain without the services of striker Sidiki Cherif, who is sidelined for the remainder of the campaign owing to a serious thigh injury.
Le SCO are also unable to call upon Pierrick Capelle and Emmanuel Biumla, with the pair suffering from muscle injuries as the season draws to a close.
Lille also have a player who will not feature again this term in the form of right-back Tiago Santos, with the 22-year-old picking up a knee injury in October.
Providing plenty of top-level experience from his time at Barcelona and as part of the French national team, Les Dogues defender Samuel Umtiti is currently recovering from a knee issue.
The visitors also have problems to contend with at the opposite end of the pitch, with four-goal winger Edon Zhegrova occupying a spot in the medical room.
Angers possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Rao-Lisoa, Bamba, Lefort, Hanin, Ekomie; Belkhdim, Ferhat, Abdelli; Niane, Lepaul
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Ribeiro, Ismaily; Haraldsson, Andre, Gomes, Fernandez-Pardo; David, Akpom
We say: Angers 0-2 Lille
Despite their success at Stade Raymond Kopa versus Montpellier recently, hosts Angers are still the massive underdogs as Les Dogues visit this weekend.
Lille are beginning to hit their stride at a crucial stage of the campaign and should be more than good enough to earn three points at the expense of Le SCO.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
