Strasbourg vs. Lille – Ligue 1, October 4, 2020

As we head into Matchday 6 of the 2020/21 Ligue 1 campaign, Lille is one of only two teams that is yet to taste defeat this term. LOSC sits just behind early frontrunner Rennes in the table, having secured three wins and two draws from their opening five games.

Strasbourg is Lille’s next opponent, with the two sides clashing at La Meinau on Sunday, October 4. The Racers have only managed to pick up one win this season, so it’s hardly surprising they find themselves in the bottom three.

You can find my Strasbourg vs. Lille prediction and betting pick below.

Given the contrasting form of the two teams, the odds for the Lille win (2.20) seem pretty high here. Of course, Strasbourg (3.30) is still the outsider. But I didn’t expect the odds gap to be so narrow for this clash.

The online sportsbooks have probably taken Strasbourg’s home advantage into account when pricing up this game. However, with French stadiums only allowing a limited capacity at the moment, I don’t think playing at home gives the Racers too much of an edge.

Let’s take a closer look at both sides.

It goes without saying that Strasbourg could not have dreamed of a poorer start to the season. After losing 3-1 to newly-promoted Lorient on the opening day, back-to-back 2-0 defeats to Nice and St-Etienne left the Alsace club without a point to show for their efforts.

A late Stefan Mitrovic goal stemmed the tide on Matchday 4, with Strasbourg edging Dijon to register their first win of the 2020/21 campaign. But a 3-2 defeat to Monaco last weekend quickly saw the Racers return to losing ways.

Monaco even had two players sent off early in the second half, yet Strasbourg failed to make the most of their numerical advantage. Mehdi Chahiri and Ludovic Ajorque both got on the scoresheet, but Thierry Laurey’s side failed to find an equalizer.

Meanwhile, Lille has been enjoying far more success. Les Dogues sealed a draw with fellow-frontrunner Rennes on Matchday 1 before securing consecutive clean-sheet victories over Reims and Metz. And after drawing with last season’s runner-up Marseille on Matchday 4, Lille beat Nantes 2-0 last time out.

Not only have Christophe Galtier’s men been clinical at the top end of the pitch, but they have also managed to keep things tight at the back. Indeed, no team has conceded fewer Ligue 1 goals than Lille this term.

Having taken 11 points from a possible 15 this season, the club will be quietly confident of beating last year’s fourth-place finish. Three clean sheets in five games is an admirable record, and I think Lille has an excellent opportunity to add another three points to their tally this weekend.

The season may only be five games old, but Lille already holds a mammoth eight-point lead over Strasbourg. The two sides have enjoyed very different starts to the campaign, so I’m confident this game will follow the form book.

Only Brest has conceded more goals than the Racers this term, while they are also the second-lowest scorers in the division. By contrast, Lille boasts the best defensive record. All the signs are pointing towards an away win here, and with odds of 2.20 on offer, you’d be foolish to miss out!