Lens vs Reims Prediction: Still to silence old friends again

The race for Europe is back on for RC Lens after a run of three wins from four games moved Will Still's side five points behind sixth-place OGC Nice, who occupy Ligue 1's final qualification spot for continental football next season.

On Friday (19:45, Ligue 1 Pass), Still's former club, Stade Reims, visit the Stade Bollaert-Delelis looking for a positive result to move them out of the relegation zone. Below are my Lens vs Reims predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Jonathan Gradit (head), Denis Petric (back), Martin Satriano, Remy Labeau-Lascary (both knee), Ruben Aguilar (hamstring) and Jhoanner Chavez (ankle) are all out injured for Lens, who could also be missing Jeremy Agbonifo due to illness.

Fiorentina loanee M'Bala Nzola's conduct was criticised by Still last month, and the Angolan forward was absent from the squad last Sunday as Lens beat St. Etienne 1-0, so he could miss out again this week.

Football Odds

Goduine Koyalipou came off the bench to score the winner last weekend and must be under consideration to start against Reims.

Neil El Aynanoui, however, is banned due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Mohamed Daramy, Reda Khedra (both knee), Yaya-Kader Fofana (ankle), Joseph Okumu (shoulder) and Gabriel Moscardo (hamstring) are likely all out injured for the visitors, who will have to make changes in the middle of defence.

Cedric Kipre was dismissed in the dying embers of last Sunday's 1-0 loss to RC Strasbourg, and although it was a case of mistaken identity - Mory Gbane should have received the red card instead - it doesn't appear as if the former West Bromwich Albion man will be allowed to play on Friday.

Fellow centre-back Okumu was taken off earlier in the game due to injury, and should he fail a fitness test, Gbane and Malcolm Jeng could form a partnership in the middle of defence.

Jordan Siebatcheu made his return from injury against Strasbourg and will be looking for more minutes on Friday.

Lens vs Reims Odds

Lens have won their last two home games and are 8/13, or a 61.9% chance, to make it three in a row this week. Reims, meanwhile, are 9/2 (18.2%) to triumph on their league travels for the first time since November 10.

The draw is priced at 3/1, both teams to score at 10/11, and over 2.5 total goals also at 10/11.

Koyalipou and Nzola (both 6/4) head the anytime goalscorer market, with nine-goal forward Keito Nakamura (100/30) first up for the visitors.

To Win to Nil - Lens @ 8/5

Lens have won three of their last four Ligue 1 matches by a 1-0 scoreline, and 75% (9/12) of their Ligue 1 victories this season have been to nil.

Relegation-threatened Reims, meanwhile, have failed to score in 42.9% (12/28) of their league games in 2024/25, blanking in seven of their last eight. Only Montpellier (five), Angers and St. Etienne (both 12) have struck fewer times away from home than Les Rouges et Blancs (13), whose last goal on the road was in a shock 1-1 draw at Paris Saint-Germain on January 25.

Still made a successful return to Reims in November, overseeing a 2-0 success for Lens at the Stade Auguste-Delaune, and he will be hoping to achieve a similar result on Friday.

Only runaway champions PSG (26) have conceded fewer Ligue 1 goals than Les Sang et Or (30), who have only been breached 16 times at home. They've kept a clean sheet in five of their six league victories at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis and should have few problems making it six from seven against Reims.

Player to Receive a Card - Valentin Atangana Edoa (REI) @ 3/1

Valentin Atangana Edoa is Reims' most-booked player in Ligue 1 this season, receiving seven yellows in 28 appearances (27 starts) at a rate of 0.3 per 90 minutes.

The 19-year-old is averaging 1.7 fouls per 90 in the French top flight and has made at least two in his last four games. In November's reverse fixture with Lens, he gave away two free-kicks and was booked for the second of those offences on Lens' left-sided defender Facundo Medina, who wins, on average, 0.7 fouls per 90.

We could see the two come into contact again on Friday as Medina is expected to start at left-back, or on the left-hand side of a back three, for Lens, while Edoa is likely to be deployed in midfield again and press on both sides of the pitch.

Lens midfielders Angelo Fulgini (2.5 p/90) and Adrien Thomasson (1.7 p/90) also win plenty of fouls for their team, and they could lure Edoa in for a few free-kicks on Friday.

The Cameroon-born France U21 international is, therefore, a viable card shout at 3/1.

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