Reims vs Lille prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-08-16 17:00.
[p]Escaping the mid-table position that they’ve occupied for each of the last four seasons is surely the goal for Reims ahead of this Ligue 1 campaign. There’s a new man in the dugout, with Luka Elsner joining from Le Havre to become the permanent successor to Will Still, and he’ll be looking to close the gap to the European positions – one which stood at four points at the end of last term.[/p]
[p]A less-than-inspiring transfer window may not help on that front, but Reims will at least have the chance to open their season with a home game for the first time since 2014. Each of their last four campaigns have seen them fail to win their first fixture (D2, L2), although the Stade Auguste-Delaune faithful can take confidence from a dominant H2H record in the top flight on their own turf against Lille (W17, D7, L5).[/p]
[p]Lille have had the chance to shake off any rust accumulated over the summer after coming through a gruelling UEFA Champions League qualifying tie against Fenerbahçe. The Mastiffs progressed by scoring a 118th-minute penalty in Turkey on Tuesday – a result which immediately endeared incoming boss Bruno GĂ©nĂ©sio to his new fans.[/p]
[p]Génésio will be looking to improve on last season’s fourth-placed finish, although Lille haven’t managed to secure a place in Ligue 1’s top three since winning the title back in 2020/21. Bridging that gap could well depend on improving their away form, as last term saw them struggle on their travels, winning just five of their 17 Ligue 1 matches on the road (D7, L5).[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Reims attacking midfielder Teddy Teuma was his team’s joint-top scorer in Ligue 1 last season (G6), with all of those goals coming in the 15-minute periods either side of half-time. Edon Zhegrova will battle him for supremacy here, and he’s already underway in 2024/25, having netted a crucial first-leg winner against Fenerbahçe last week.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Lille have scored once or fewer in all of the last five H2Hs (W1, D1, L3).[/p]
[p][i]Written by Ryan Fisher[/i][/p]