Lens take on the visitors Reims in the round 35 match of French Ligue 1. The match will be played on Friday, May 12th at Stade Bollaert-Delelis (Lens).
The Red and Whites are having a strong finish to the season and are aiming to make a return to the Champions League after 25 years, only three years since their return to Ligue 1. Heize's team is often compared to Atalanta under Gasperini due to their similar styles of play. They operate with the same system and their pressing is effective, but in defense, the hosts of this match appear more reliable than their Italian counterparts. By the way, in the previous round, Lens managed to secure the second spot in the league by defeating Marseille, their direct competitor for the Champions League, with a score of 2-1. In any case, this victory marked their 7th win in the last 8 Ligue 1 matches. The dream is within reach, and Lens should defeat Reims based on their superior quality.
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Will Still's team is having a decent season and comfortably sits in the middle of the table in 10th place. They won't be relegated and won't rise higher to secure a European spot, so they can calmly finish the season. It is evident that the team has relaxed a bit after an impressive performance, going undefeated for four months in the league after a change of coach. In the previous round, they managed to break their streak of four winless matches (earning only 1 point) by tactically defeating Lille 1-0 at home. However, this victory is a small spark amid a general decline.
We believe that Lens should claim 3 points here based on their quality and solidify their position for a spot in the Champions League next season. The team is in phenomenal form, unlike the visitors, and Lens plays at home with strong support from the local ultras. Moreover, in terms of motivation for the match, Lens surpasses their opponent by leaps and bounds. Reims will struggle against Lens' pressing, especially since Still's team is guaranteed to finish higher than 8th place and won't drop below 11th place. I expect a victory for Lens in this match, as I would like to see the return of a truly unique team with their own playing philosophy to the Champions League.
Prediction for the match: Lens to win.
