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

Newly-promoted Lorient host Lille at the Stade du Moustoir in the first serving of Ligue 1 action this Saturday.

The two clubs start the weekend inside the top six, with both winning on home soil last time out, keeping clean sheets in the process.

Match preview

While many of the clubs who come up from Ligue 2 struggle in their first season back in the top flight, Lorient have made a promising start, continuing the remarkable home form that won them the second-tier title last term.

Olivier Pantaloni’s men beat nine-man Rennes 4-0 here last week, taking full advantage of their visitor’s ill-discipline, after they were given two red cards inside 10 minutes.

Since the start of the last season, Lorient have now scored four or more goals in seven home league matches, with 53 netted in total across those 18 outings.

That tally is seven more than any other club in France’s top two divisions, and their form is almost formidable, winning 16 and drawing one of the 18 games in that spell.

After also beating Clermont 5-0 in their final home game before relegation in 2023-24, Lorient have a very strong record to uphold, but there has to be realism attached, because Rennes’ early red cards played a huge part in the outcome of the match last week.

A 1-0 defeat at Auxerre on the opening day raises concerns, and fewer fixtures will test their mettle following the step up from Ligue 2 than facing Lille.

Lorient have won eight of their 16 home matches against Lille in Ligue 1 - their joint-highest tally against any club - including each of the last three, but Bruno Genesio’s men will be very tough to overcome.

After an underwhelming 3-3 draw with Brest on the opening day, where Les Dogues squandered 2-0 and 3-2 leads, they responded with a massive win over top-four rivals Monaco.

Olivier Giroud netted the injury-time winner for Genesio’s men at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but it was equally as important to keep a clean sheet, after seeing their defence ripped apart over the summer, where Lucas Chevalier, Bafode Diakite and Gabriel Gudmundsson all departed.

The 3-3 with Brest remains the only draw in Ligue 1 so far this season, so that means Lille sit on their own on four points, just outside the top four behind the clubs who still have a 100% record.

Claiming another result here is likely, considering they have won 19 of their last 24 Ligue 1 matches against newly-promoted sides since 2020-21, the joint-best tally in the division in that time, and that would see them start a season three games unbeaten for the first time since that same campaign, when they went on to win the title.

It is no secret that Lille are much weaker on the road compared to at home though, where they have now won six of their last seven games, because in comparison, LOSC have just two wins from their last eight away league matches.

Lorient Ligue 1 form:

L W

Lille Ligue 1 form:

D W

Team News

Isaak Toure is yet to feature for Lorient since returning from his loan spell in Italy last season, as a knee injury has kept him sidelined so far.

The tall defender remains sidelined along with Noah Cadiou, Bandiougou Fadiga and Nathaniel Adjei, so it will be no surprise to see Lorient unchanged from the rout over Rennes.

Karim Dermane is one of the few signings made by the hosts this summer, but he got his full debut a week ago, playing an hour of that 4-0 victory.

Lille are set to be without Ngal’ayel Mukau after he was forced off with injury in their win over Monaco a week ago.

Mukau will join fellow midfielder Andre Gomes on the sidelines if so, as well as Osame Sahraoui, who has a foot injury, and Ousmane Toure.

Wantaway winger Edon Zhegrova is still at the club for the time being, and returned to the matchday squad for the first time in 2025 last weekend, but he was an unused sub, and looks set to leave.

Lorient possible starting lineup:

Kamara; Mendy, Talbi, Igor Silva; Katseris, Abergel, Avon, Kouassi; Tosin, Soumano, Dermane

Lille possible starting lineup:

Ozer; Meunier, Ngoy, Alexsandro, Perraud; Bouaddi, Andre; Fernandez-Pardo, Haraldsson, Felix Correia; Giroud

We say: Lorient 1-1 Lille

Lille’s away form is far from encouraging, and Lorient have been utterly unstoppable at the Moustoir for the past 12 months, so this will be a tough test for Genesio’s men.

It should be noted that Lorient were playing in Ligue 2 though, and their only home game this season saw them face nine men for 80 minutes, so this will be their first true test.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.