Lille take on the visitors Crvena Zvezda in the first leg of UEFA Europa League round of 1/16-finals. The match will be played on Thursday, February 19th at Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Villeneuve d'Ascq).
Lille have achieved a lot in recent years, including taking the Ligue 1 title away from PSG. Last season, they also performed very solidly in the Champions League by reaching the playoffs, but at the same time narrowly lost the battle with Nice for fourth place domestically. As a result, while also struggling on the home front during the winter, when they were knocked out of the cup by Lyon and fell behind the top four in the current standings, they had to focus only on the Europa League. In the Europa League, such an experienced club started like a clear favorite, beating Brann and Roma. However, four defeats followed, and only home wins against Dinamo Zagreb and, in the final round, Freiburg allowed them to reach the playoffs. Recently, Lille have looked more organized at home, where their results have been noticeably stronger than away. Their current form suggests that they are capable of controlling matches on their own pitch and capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Crvena Zvezda are not especially impressive right now. The Red-Whites are the most successful club in Serbia, especially in recent years, with even Partizan no longer posing a serious challenge domestically. This season, however, they have not yet managed to pull away from their neighbor in the standings. They also failed to reach the Champions League this time: after dealing with Lincoln and Lech, the experienced side surprisingly lost to debutants Paphos. Moreover, their Europa League campaign started poorly, with a home draw against Celtic and two away defeats. Later, though, they picked up momentum with a run of four consecutive wins, including a victory over their current opponent, albeit at home. Only in the final round, with qualification already effectively secured, did they settle for a home draw against Celta. Even so, their recent away performances remain inconsistent, which raises doubts ahead of this trip. Against stronger opposition on the road, they often struggle to maintain the same level of intensity.
In November, the teams played their first ever head-to-head match, and the hosts in Belgrade won narrowly, 1–0. The French side are playing at home, which is an important factor for both teams. We are backing a win for the Dogs.
Prediction for the match: Lille to win.
