Strasbourg vs Lens Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 French Ligue 1
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Coached by former Hull City boss Liam Rosenior, there are reasons to be really positive for Strasbourg this season as they head into this weekend’s clash with Will Still’s Lens, who remain unbeaten after six matches.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Sunday 6th October, 2024 - UK – 4:00pm / US ET – 11:00am / US PT – 9:00am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – beIN Sports
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Ligue 1 pass / US – beIN Sports
STRASBOURG PREVIEW: SILKY STRASBOURG
Liam Rosenior has gained a reputation for his style of football and implementing that at Strasbourg is a difficult task given the nature of the supporters aggression and frustration with their BlueCo ownership group essentially making them a feeder club to Chelsea.
On the pitch, though, the home team have suffered just one defeat all season and that came away at Lyon when they had actually been leading by three goals to one. Their most recent outing saw them defeat supposed title challengers Marseille by a goal to nil last weekend.
LENS PREVIEW: FRUSTRATED LENS
Franck Haise has been in charge of a Lens side that have finished as runners’ up and then in the top seven in each of the last two seasons. His departure to Nice means that this is a very exciting project that has been trusted to Will Still.
They are one of just three teams that remain unbeaten after six matches but they have managed just two victories with four draws so far this season. They began with back-to-back wins before a goalless draw with Haise’s Nice was their fourth draw in a row last weekend.
STRASBOURG TEAM NEWS: KEY ABSENTEES
Strasbourg’s former first-choice goalkeeper Alaa Bellaarouch remains unavailable due to injury alongside the likes of Milos Lukovic, Thomas Delaine, Chelsea loanee Caleb Wiley and forward Moise Sahi.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Doue, Sow, Sarr, Moreira; Doukoure, Santos; Bakwa, Diarra, Nanasi; Emegha
UNAVAILABLE: Bellaarouch (Injured), Lukovic (Injured), Wiley (Injured), Delaine (Injured), Sahi (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
LENS TEAM NEWS: LENGTHY LIST OF ABSENTEES
The amount of unavailable players for Will Still is almost comical with both Remy Lascary and Anass Zaroury out suspended, whilst key first-teamers such as Kevin Danso, Jonathan Gradit and Martin Satriano are among those sidelined through injury.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Samba; Frankowski, Aguilar, Khusanov, Machado; Thomasson, Medina; Fulgini, Diouf, Said; Nzola
UNAVAILABLE: Koffi (Injured), Danso (Injured), Cabot (Injured), Gradit (Injured), Lascary (Suspended), El Aynaoui (Injured), Ojediran (Injured), Satriano (Injured), Bane (Injured), Zaroury (Suspended)
QUESTIONABLE:
STRASBOURG VS LENS PREDICTION
Strasbourg, as mentioned, will get the ball down and play in this one with Rosenior also able to adapt between systems mid-game making them unpredictable for the opposition and very fluid. They take on a Lens side that, in this battle between the all-English coaches, will sense a defeat is coming their way and Strasbourg, after their big win last weekend as well as their home advantage, will fancy their chances but Lens will be confident of exploiting the soft centre of the hosts.
STRASBOURG VS LENS TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
