Lille and Lens meet in vital northern derby | OneFootball

LOSC Lille and RC Lens clash in the third northern derby of the season at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Saturday knowing that defeat would probably spell the end of their chances of European qualification.

LOSC Lille - RC Lens Saturday at 21:00 CET (1900 GMT)

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The stakes are always high in meetings between Lille and Lens, the two clubs separated by just 40 kilometres in France’s far north. This time, though, there is more than simple local bragging rights at stake as Les Dogues and Les Sang et Or battle to stay in contention for European qualification.

For Lille, after last season’s title triumph and their run to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, anything less than a top-five finish in this campaign would represent a major anti-climax for a team that is likely to be broken up in the summer. For Lens, however, qualifying for any European competition would be a major achievement in just their second season back in the elite.

Lille ended last weekend in seventh place, three points adrift of OGC Nice in fifth, which offers a place in the Europa Conference League for next season. Lens, meanwhile, were one point behind LOSC in eighth position.

Watch: Lille draw with Angers

Jocelyn Gourvennec’s LOSC are on an eight-game unbeaten run, with only Chelsea having beaten them in the last two months. However, their momentum has slowed, with last week’s 1-1 draw away at Angers SCO - in which Edon Zhegrova’s second Ligue 1 Uber Eats goal secured a point - following a goalless home stalemate against struggling Girondins de Bordeaux.

Lille have also been held to 0-0 draws at home by relegation-threatened FC Metz and AS Saint-Etienne in recent weeks and those dropped points risk costing them dear come the end of the campaign. However, in their last 21 league games Lille have lost just three times: twice to Paris Saint-Germain and once against Stade Brestois 29.

“Our president reminded us this week that qualifying for Europe is the objective and we are still in the running. The table is very tight. We have been held to draws in our last two games. It is obviously not good enough and we need to do better,” said Gourvennec on Friday.

Selection problems

“Since the Paris game (a 5-1 defeat in February) we have had four wins and four draws. We have taken 16 points in that time which is good albeit not good enough. Given the squad we have we should be capable of winning these tight games.”

That squad is diminished at the moment, particularly in defence where Sven Botman is still not fit. Tiago Djaló can play before beginning a two-match ban, but Burak Yilmaz was a derby doubt due to illness. Timothy Weah is available again, however.

Lens are in buoyant mood after thumping OGC Nice 3-0 at home last weekend with Arnaud Kalimuendo scoring a second-half brace either side of a Cheick Doucouré goal. Yet they have lacked consistency of late, having not recorded back-to-back victories since beating Stade Rennais FC and then Saint-Etienne in their first two games of the year in January.

Highlights: Lens take Nice apart

Franck Haise’s team do have the upper hand in derby fixtures this season though, having won 1-0 in the reverse encounter in September before beating their local rivals on penalties in the Coupe de France at the turn of the year.

“We have to go into this game without fear because we know our strengths,” said Kalimuendo. “I have been here for a year now and this is always a special match. We have to try to make the people of our region and our supporters proud.”

Away supporters have been banned from attending the game and Lens will be without both Doucouré and Massadio Haïdara due to suspension. Gaël Kakuta, David Pereira da Costa and Przemysław Frankowski were all injury doubts during the week too.

Probable teams

Lille: To follow

Lens: To follow

>> NEWS: Nice battle to keep Champions League hopes alive