Lille will be hoping to snap a two-game losing streak in Ligue 1 when they welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday. Les Dogues slipped to sixth in the standings after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Lyon, while league leaders PSG sit top of the table on goal difference following their 2-0 victory over Auxerre.
After starting the campaign in explosive form, Lille’s attack has suddenly gone quiet. Bruno Genesio’s side netted 13 goals in their opening four league fixtures, but they have since drawn blanks in back-to-back Ligue 1 matches. That marks their longest scoring drought in the competition since May 2023, and they have not gone three straight without a goal since 2017.
Their loss to Lyon also ended a 60-game home scoring run in domestic action. Still, Lille rarely stay silent at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, where they have not gone goalless in consecutive league outings since 2019. To turn things around, they will need to rediscover their attacking sharpness, as nine of their last Ligue 1 home wins came in matches where they scored at least twice.
On the other side, PSG arrive in strong spirits despite a setback earlier in the season. After a 1-0 defeat to Marseille in Le Classique, Luis Enrique’s men bounced back with two big results: a thrilling 2-1 Champions League win over Barcelona and a comfortable league success against Auxerre.
The champions will be wary of history, however, as they risk losing consecutive Ligue 1 away games for the first time since early 2023. Yet their defensive record remains impressive, with four clean sheets in six league fixtures — only Lyon have more across Europe’s top five leagues this season.
PSG’s frontline continues to deliver as well, and they have enjoyed recent dominance over Lille, winning their last three meetings and taking points from six of their last seven trips to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Despite suffering defeat to their arch-rivals Marseille and losing several key players to injury, Paris Saint-Germain’s confidence has not been shaken. Since that 1-0 setback in Le Classique on matchday five, Luis Enrique’s side have bounced back with two strong performances including a dramatic 2-1 Champions League victory over Barcelona, the coach’s former club.
This weekend, however, PSG face the risk of consecutive away defeats in Ligue 1 for the first time since January 2023, which would already surpass their total number of domestic road losses from last season.
Defensively, though, the champions have been solid. They have recorded four clean sheets in their opening six league fixtures, a figure bettered only by Lyon across Europe’s top five leagues. The only concern is their scoring record away from home, as the last time PSG failed to score in back-to-back Ligue 1 away matches came in March 2022 under Mauricio Pochettino.
History is on their side against Lille, though. Les Parisiens have won the last three meetings between the clubs and picked up points in six of their previous seven trips to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in all competitions.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Lille were without Alexsandro in their defeat to Lyon as the defender continues to recover from a muscle injury. Ousmane Toure is still sidelined with a cruciate ligament problem, while goalkeeper Marc-Aurele Caillard missed out with an elbow issue.
On Thursday night in the Europa League, Hakon Arnar Haraldsson struck the only goal inside six minutes to edge Roma 1-0, with Berke Ozer producing six crucial saves to secure the clean sheet.
For PSG, injuries remain a concern. Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele is expected to miss out due to a hamstring problem, the same setback that has troubled midfielder Joao Neves. Desire Doue could also be absent with a calf strain, while captain Marquinhos is nursing a leg issue. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, meanwhile, sat out their midweek Champions League game after feeling discomfort in his thigh.
Despite those setbacks, the champions have had others step up. Defenders Illia Zabarnyi and Lucas Beraldo both found the net in the 2-0 victory over Auxerre, while former Lille shot-stopper Lucas Chevalier continued his fine form, making three saves to collect his league-leading fourth clean sheet of the season.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Lille possible starting lineup:
Ozer; Meunier, Ngoy, Mandi, Verdonk; Andre, Bouaddi; Correia, Haraldsson, Sahraoui; Giroud
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Hakimi, Zabarnyi, Beraldo, Hernandez; Kang-in, Vitinha, Mayulu; Mbaye, Ramos, Barcola
EXPERT PREDICTION
Lille 1-2 PSG
