High-flying Lens will look to close in on Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain when they welcome relegation-threatened Strasbourg to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Friday night.
While the hosts have put together a six-game unbeaten league run, the visitors have only won one of their last five top-flight fixtures.
Match preview
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Lens have been one of the major success stories of the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season, and they boosted their hopes of securing Champions League qualification for the first time in over two decades with a narrow 1-0 victory away against Rennes last weekend.
After scoring five goals across two previous wins against Clermont and Angers, in-form striker Lois Openda increased his goal tally for the season to 15 by heading home the only goal of the game at Roazhon Park midway through the first half.
Franck Haise's men have won each of their last three Ligue 1 matches by an aggregate score of 8-0 and they remain second in the table, three points above Monaco in fourth and six points behind leaders PSG, who have lost their last two games to provide Les Sang et Or with an outside chance of lifting their first top-flight title since 1997-98.
Lens, who were promoted to the top flight just three seasons ago, have won more home matches than any other team in Europe's top-five leagues so far this season, coming out on top in 12 of their 14 Ligue 1 fixtures at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis – a slender 1-0 loss to Nice in January being the only blot on their copybook.
Success on Friday is not guaranteed for Haise's side, though, as they have failed to win their last three meetings with Strasbourg, including a 1-0 home defeat last season and a 2-2 draw on the road in January.
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After picking up three valuable points in a 2-0 home win over Auxerre before the international break, Strasbourg were on the wrong end of a thrilling 4-3 scoreline away against Monaco last weekend.
The Racers were leading 2-1 at the break courtesy of a strike from Lebo Mothiba and an own goal from Guillermo Maripan, but the hosts netted three times within an 11-minute period midway through the second half to turn the game on its head before Habib Diallo scored what proved to be a consolation goal for the visitors in stoppage time.
Frederic Antonetti has experienced a mixed set of results as Strasbourg boss since taking the reins in the middle of February, winning, drawing and losing two games each, and his side remain in danger of relegation as they are currently hovering just one place above the drop zone on goal difference.
Strasbourg head into Friday's encounter having failed to win any of their last five Ligue 1 away matches, while they are only one of two French top-flight teams – along with Troyes – who are yet to keep a clean sheet on the road this season.
However, the Racers have kept a clean sheet in each of their last two visits to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, winning 1-0 on both occasions.
Team News
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Lens trio Steven Fortes, Wuilker Farinez and Jimmy Cabot are all expected to miss out due to knee injuries, while Adam Buksa is currently nursing a foot problem.
Wesley Said and Facundo Medina both recovered from injury to make the matchday squad last weekend, with the latter starting in defence, and both players are available for selection again on Friday.
Adrien Thomasson, who joined Lens from Strasbourg on a permanent deal in January, is set to continue in the front three along with Openda and either Angelo Fulgini or David Costa.
As for Strasbourg, experiences striker Kevin Gameiro missed the defeat against Monaco due to injury and is expected to miss out again on Friday, joining Colin Dagba, Dimitri Lienard, Maxime Le Marchand and Eiji Kawashima in the treatment room.
However, Alexander Djiku is available for selection after serving a one-match ban last time out and is likely to start at centre-back at the expense of Frederic Guilbert.
Sanjin Prcic – who scored in the 2-2 draw with Lens three months ago – has started on the substitutes' bench in all six games under new boss Antonetti and will be hoping to force his way into the first XI on Friday ahead of either Jean-Eudes Aholou or Morgan Sanson.
Lens possible starting lineup:
Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Sotoca, Abdul Samed, Fofana, Frankowski; Thomasson, Openda, Costa
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Sels; Nyamsi, Djiku, Doukoure; Diarra, Sanson, Aholou, Bellegarde, Delaine; Mothiba, Diallo
We say: Lens 2-0 Strasbourg
Strasbourg have cause problems for Lens in recent meetings and will hope to frustrate their opponents again on Friday as they bid to steer themselves clear of the relegation zone.
However, Haise's men have excelled on home soil this term and they should have enough quality in their side to secure a fourth successive Ligue 1 victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
