Auxerre v Lille

Auxerre vs Lille Preview

Auxerre were unable to improve upon a disappointing end to 2024 in the French top flight upon their return to action in Ligue 1 last weekend when the hosts were handed a heavy 3-1 loss away from home at Strasbourg, so Auxerre will be keen to halt a four-game winless run here on Friday night at their Stade de l'Abbé Deschamps.

Lille gained another point upon their return to the French top flight action last weekend when the upcoming visitors drew 1-1 at home with lowly Nantes but perhaps too many stalemates in recent times have held Bruno Génésio's side back in their quest for a possible top three finish.

Auxerre occupy a mid-table position of ninth place in the Ligue 1 standings following two draws and two defeats and although the hosts picked up points in draws with PSG and Lens, they also slipped to defeats at the hands of Toulouse and Strasbourg as well.

Prior to this four-game winless run, Auxerre had put together a promising looking five-match unbeaten sequence which consisted of four wins and a draw; a point gained in a 2-2 draw away from home at Lyon was complemented by picking up important wins against Reims, Rennes, Marseille and Angers respectively.

Goals look a likely outcome here though as six out of Auxerre's last 10 games have resulted in both teams scoring.

Lille extended their unbeaten run in the French top flight to a solid 12 games with a point gained in a 1-1 draw at home with lowly Nantes last weekend but the visitors may view that result as two points lost rather than one gained.

Five wins against the likes of Le Havre, Toulouse, Lens, Rennes and Brest have been overshadowed by being involved in no fewer than seven stalemates within these previous 12 games which have placed Lille in fourth place and two points behind third placed Monaco heading into this Friday night clash at the Stade de l'Abbé Deschamps.

In addition, Lille are now unbeaten in their previous six outings on the road in the domestic top flight which consist of two wins but also four draws, three of which have also resulted in both teams scoring.

Five out of Lille's last 10 away games in Ligue 1 have also resulted in both teams hitting the back of the net and given the regular occurrence of draws within the visitors' recent results, the possibility of another stalemate cannot be ruled out here in this Friday night's encounter.

Auxerre v Lille Verdict

Six out of the last seven meetings between Auxerre and Lille have seen both teams score and this looks a likely outcome once again on Friday night at the Stade de l'Abbé Deschamps between two sides who have struggled to pick up wins of late.

Therefore, our main bet will be BTTS Yes @ 1.66

Other side bets worth considering:

Draw @ 3.70

Correct Score: 1-1 @ 7.00