Lille take on the visitors Freiburg in the round 8 match of UEFA Europa League – League Phase. The match will be played on Thursday, January 29th at Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Villeneuve d'Ascq).
Lille may not be considered one of the historic giants of French football. However, they are the second (and so far the last) club to have broken PSG’s dominance since the arrival of the Qatari owners. Last season they also looked competitive in the Champions League, including the playoff stage, but at the same time lost a tight battle with Nice and Monaco for a top-four spot, finishing only fifth. As a result, the club, which is fighting domestically to climb at least one position in the league table (and was knocked out of the cup in January), has been forced to compete in the Europa League. And there, they have not shown maximum commitment. After six matches in 2025, they recorded three wins and three defeats. Against Celta, they could have settled all the key issues, but replied to a couple of goals conceded with only a late strike in the 86th minute. Recently, Lille’s form has been uneven, with strong home performances alternating with frustrating setbacks away. Still, their results at their own stadium remain solid, and they tend to look far more confident when controlling games on familiar ground.
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Freiburg are trying not to lose face. The “Brazilians from Breisgau” have shown themselves on several occasions in recent years. Last season, they even finished just one step away from the Champions League, as Borussia Dortmund pushed them down to fifth place at the very end. Perhaps that was the reason for the managerial change in the summer. Domestically, under Schuster, they are operating at roughly the same level, trying to stay among the contenders for European qualification. In the Europa League itself, the Germans have been among the leaders of the campaign. Only Bologna and Viktoria Plzeň managed to avoid defeat against them, with both matches ending in draws. In January, Freiburg managed to edge past Maccabi Tel Aviv only late on, scoring the decisive goal near the end. At the same time, Freiburg’s recent results suggest a team that is resilient but not always convincing against disciplined opponents. Their away form has been less stable, which has often limited their ability to turn solid performances into victories.
Despite being clubs from neighboring countries, they have never met before, not even in friendly matches. The French side are playing at home and have more experience at this level. We therefore back Lille to secure a victory.
Prediction for the match: Lille to win.
