:Headline: Preview: Monaco vs. Lille - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Ligue 1 clash between Monaco and Lille, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Monaco host Lille in a rescheduled Ligue 1 gameweek 29 clash at Stade Louis II on Wednesday.
The home side go into this week's game keen to delay Paris Saint-Germain's coronation while preventing the fourth-placed visitors from moving level with them in the standings.
Match preview
Despite not losing in Ligue 1 since February, Monaco are still not assured of Champions League qualification. This is an upshot of the chasing pack not giving up, even if Brest have been beaten in back-to-back league fixtures.
Adi Hutter's men supplanted Brest to move into second after Sunday's victory over Les Pirates, with Denis Zakaria and Takumi Minamino notching the goals in the fixture against a rival for the coveted continental squads.
With two points between the sides, Monaco could extend that lead over the Pirates to five by defeating Lille in midweek, an outcome that will be just what the doctor ordered for the home side.
However, a questionable set of results in Fontvieille has seen Hutter's side claim one victory in their recent seven in front of their supporters, suffering three defeats and playing as many draws.
The only triumph in that period came in their last match at Stade Louis II, defeating Rennes 1-0 on April 7, and the home side will be keen to avoid losing on Wednesday to ward off their opponents.
The Mastiffs bounced back from their penalty shootout loss to Aston Villa with a 1-0 triumph over Strasbourg, extending their unbeaten Ligue 1 streak to six games.
That sequence includes a three-game winning run against Lens (2-1), Marseille (3-1) and Sunday, with the victory over Patrick Vieira's men being Les Dogues' first clean sheet in five league fixtures.
While Paulo Fonseca's troops have owed this season's high standing to their strong form at Stade Pierre-Mauroy — suffering one loss all season — the War Machine have struggled on their travels, underscored by ranking 13th for away points as opposed to the best home form in the competition.
Even though they have avoided defeat in two away matches, defeating Reims 1-0 and drawing 1-1 at Brest, Les Dogues have won maximum points on one occasion in seven road matches, losing three times.
Maximum points will see Lille (52 points) in fourth supplant Brest (53) and move level with Monaco (55), further adding intrigue to the tussle for the Champions League slots in Ligue 1's concluding gameweeks.
Monaco Ligue 1 form:
- D
- W
- D
- W
- W
- W
Lille Ligue 1 form:
Lille form (all competitions):
- D
- W
- W
- L
- L
- W
Team News
Eliesse Ben Seghir and Wilfried Singo were dismissed for violent conduct last time out, thus ruling out both players for Wednesday's game.
Monaco are without Aleksandr Golovin (ankle), Ismail Jakobs and Caio Henrique (both knee) in midweek.
Maghnes Akliouche has netted in two of the home side's last four home matches, and the 22-year-old hopes to come up trumps against Lille.
The Mastiffs must do without Samuel Umtiti and Andrej Ilic, who are missing due to knee and foot injuries respectively.
Edon Zhegrova was in fine form in the reverse fixture, setting up both goals in Lille's 2-0 triumph, and the attacker should start on Wednesday.
Jonathan David has netted in back-to-back Ligue 1 games for Fonseca's men, and the forward seeks to score for a third game running against Monaco.
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Majecki; Vanderson, Maripan, Kehrer, Ouattara; Akliouche, Fofana, Zakaria; Minamino, Balogun, Diatta
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Santos, Ribeiro, Diakite, Ismaily; Andre, Gomes; Zhegrova, Haraldsson, Cabella; David
We say: Monaco 2-2 Lille
Despite both sides winning three games on the trot, Wednesday's game is tricky to call. Monaco's form at Stade Louis II is questionable, while Lille's road results leave much to be desired.
The home side's 11-game undefeated streak against the Mastiffs should become 12, with both sides possibly cancelling each other out in midweek.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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