Preview: Angers vs Lille - prediction, team news, lineups

Sunday’s first Ligue 1 action of the new campaign will begin with Angers hosting Lille at Stade Raymond Kopa in Pays de la Loire.

Last season Les Scoistes wound up 13th with 36 points, 10 places below Lille, who finished in the top three for the second time this decade.

Match preview

Entering their third successive campaign in Ligue 1, Angers will hope this season will not be solely about survival.

That has been the case over the last two seasons for them, with this team finishing in the bottom half of the table in each of those campaigns, earning 36 points both times.

Stephane Gilli will be entrusted to take this side to the next level and prove that he is a capable top-flight manager, following his sacking at Paris FC in February.

He will be relying heavily on the new faces to produce, with the club adding several experienced players this summer primarily on loan deals or free transfers.

On Sunday, this team can snap a nine-match winless run in this competition and collect just their second away victory domestically this year.

Angers can also win their opening Ligue 1 match away for the first time since 2021, failing to find the back of the net in those last two instances.

After a strong 2025-26 campaign, Davide Ancelotti inherits a Lille side who will hope to contend for trophies this season.

The son of Brazilian head coach Carlo Ancelotti saw his current team suffer just one defeat in the pre-season, while scoring a combined 11 goals in those four games.

Ancelotti has some big shoes to fill, replacing Bruno Genesio, who guided them to a pair of 60+ point seasons before leaving for Marseille.

He takes charge of a team that were among the best away from home down the stretch of the last Ligue 1 campaign, going unbeaten in those last seven outings.

Over that stretch they have allowed a mere two goals, and on Sunday can go four matches without conceding as the visitors in this competition.

Les Dogues can stretch their top-flight winning run against Angers to five games this weekend, without a goal conceded in those last four outings.

Angers Pre-season form:

Lille Pre-season form:

Team News

A meniscus issue may prevent Louis Mouton from seeing the field for Angers on matchday one, an injury which he picked up a couple of months ago.

Anthony Lopes and Branco van den Boomen are among the newcomers who came to the team on a free transfer, with Usman Simbokoli the big signing, coming over from RWDM Brussels and Amine El Ouazzani joining on loan from Braga.

Lille will be missing Hamza Igamane for the opener as he continues to recover from a cruciate ligament tear sustained earlier this year.

Olivier Giroud will begin what he has said will likely be his last season as a footballer, with the World Cup winner set to turn 40 in September.

Angers possible starting lineup:

Lopes; Arcus, Camara, Lefort, Ekomie; Belkhdim, van den Boomen; Sbai, Bermont, Allevinah; El Ouazzani

Lille possible starting lineup:

Ozer; Santos, Ngoy, Alexsandro, Perraud; Andre, Bouaddi; Mukau, Haraldsson, Correia; Fernandez-Pardo

We say: Angers 0-2 Lille

While Angers have experienced players, we do not believe they have the quality to trouble a side as balanced as Lille, and we expect the visitors' talent and continuity to pull through on matchday one.

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