Auxerre vs Lille Prediction: Another stalemate for these two sides?

Friday night (20:00) in Ligue 1 sees Auxerre host Lille at Stade de l'Abbe Deschamps. The home side are winless in their last four matches but they have picked up respectable draws along the way Paris Saint-Germain and Lens. Their latest result was a 3-1 defeat at Strasbourg.

Lille are unbeaten in their last 12 fixtures in the league but they have drawn in their last two outings against Marseille and Nantes. Three points for them would move them inside the top three. Read on for my Auxerre vs Lille prediction, featuring the latest match odds and team news.

Auxerre vs Lille Odds

Having won five of their eight home league games this term, Auxerre are priced at a generous 3/1, which has an implied probability of 25%, for Friday. Recent results have certainly had an impact here but their home form is better than these odds suggest.

Lille are 5/6 to come away with the three points here, which feels quite short seeing as they have triumphed in just three of their eight previous away games. All of those wins were to nil, though, so you will find better value in backing the visitors to win without reply at 23/10 (30.3%).

Four of the visitors' last five away trips have ended in a stalemate, including the last two. On top of this, Auxerre's last two home games in Ligue 1 ended with the points being shared, so 5/2 (28.6%) for a draw here feels very generous.

Both teams to score has struck in each of Lille's last four matches in the top flight, so BTTS could be a sensible selection at 4/6.

Jonathan David, Lille's front man, is the top scorer in Ligue 1 with 11 goals to his name. He has been the first person on the scoresheet on five occasions this campaign, so 100/30 for him to score first on Friday could be alluring.

Football Odds

Team News

Auxerre will welcome back midfielder Rayan Raveloson from suspension for this contest after he was absent for the defeat at Strasbourg last weekend. Gabriel Osho and Kevin Danois were also missing for that game due to suspected injuries, and both are considered doubts for this one.

French Guiana international Donovan Leon has missed the last two games in all competitions and the goalkeeper has been a big miss as he has made 84 saves in 17 appearances for club and country this term. Boss Christophe Pelissier remains without right-back Ange-Loic N'Gatta for the foreseeable, while Lasso Coulibaly is unavailable for the remainder of the season as the result of an ACL tear.

Lille's Tiago Santos has the same issue and he is out of action for a few months. Former Barcelona man Samuel Umtiti is also in the treatment room with a knee problem.

Attacker Edon Zhegrova is their most notable absentee with a groin niggle. Mathias Fernandez-Pardo is another doubt for the weekend after he was forced off inside 10 minutes against Nantes last time out.

England international Angel Gomes provided the visitors with a boost in that game though as he returned to the bench after an injury of his own. He will be eager to get back out on the grass in a bid to impress the new Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel.

Draw @ 5/2

Lille have experienced four stalemates away from home this season in Ligue 1 and they have all come in their last five road trips. It's helped keep their impressive unbeaten run going but they will be eager to pick up more victories on their travels.

They will feel like they have an opportunity against a side that have lost three of their last five in all competitions. However, Auxerre haven't been beaten in their last six home encounters in the league, so this could end up being another tough trip for Les Dogues.

The hosts have conceded just three goals in those fixtures, so not only are they tough to beat at Stade de l'Abbe Deschamps, but they are also tricky to score against.

Lille boast the league's top scorer in David which could give them the required firepower here, yet it may not be enough to improve their points return away from home.

Auxerre have drawn their last two matches inside this ground and one of them came against league leaders PSG, who they managed to record a clean sheet against. I can't help but feel that we will witness another stalemate on Friday.

Jonathan David anytime goalscorer @ 21/20

With the January transfer window open and this man being the top scorer in Ligue 1, of course rumours are swirling that he could be on the move this month. Nothing substantial has been reported, though, and the Canadian international remains focused on Lille and their Champions League push.

Interestingly, a pattern has emerged with David this season. Since September 21, he has been in a habit of scoring in consecutive games before blanking in the next two, and so on.

The latest flurry saw him net braces against Montpellier and Brest. As we know he has gone two games without a goal leading up to Friday, so it feels like a goal is overdue and one in this tough away game could be huge for Lille.

Auxerre have proven to be stubborn on home turf but this man has the quality to hurt them, and the current trend would suggest he's due to score against them.

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