Lille vs Nice
14th August 1600hrs
Football – France – Ligue 1
Pick Home Win by One Goal
Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 13/5 odds taken 1311 GMT, Friday 13 August
After winning the Ligue 1 title with Lille last season, Christophe Galtier made the shock decision to leave the club a couple of days later and sign for Nice. On Saturday, Galtier is back at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy as Jocelyn Gourvennec’s Lille host Galtier’s Nice in Ligue 1 action. Can he get a surprise win against his former club, or will the champions make home advantage count? This mouth-watering match should be a cracker, and we have the latest odds and predictions.
Table of Contents
Lille Preview – Can the champions beat their former boss?
Against all odds, Christophe Galtier guided Lille to the Ligue 1 title last season. It was the club’s first league championship for ten years. Les Dogues were solid throughout, losing just three Ligue 1 games. They ended the season one point ahead of Paris-Saint-Germain.
After Galtier’s shock departure, the club acted swiftly to bring in former Guingamp and Bordeaux manager Jocelyn Gourvennec. He had been out of work since leaving Guingamp in 2019. Lille started their title defence with a thrilling six-goal draw at Metz last Sunday. The week before, Gourvennec’s reign began with a win over PSG in the French Champions Trophy.
Gourvennec has made a steady start, winning one and drawing one of two, but can he pick up his first Ligue 1 victory on Sunday? Lille are the odds-on favourites with the bookies at 4/5.
Nice Preview – Will Galtier come back to haunt his old club?
Christophe Galtier started life at Nice with a 0-0 home draw with Reims last Sunday. The hosts dominated possession and had more attempts at goal, but the away side held firm to frustrate Galtier and Nice.
Patrick Vieira – who is now in charge of Crystal Palace in the Premier League – left last December, with Adrian Ursea taking over until the end of the season. Ursea guided Nice to ninth spot in Ligue 1. The Eaglets will be hoping to build on that under Galtier this term.
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The Nice boss may know every about this Lille side, but this will be a stern test for the visitors. Lille were beaten just twice on their own patch in the league last season. The away win here is available at 15/4.
Lille vs Nice Betting Advice
Back in October, Nice held Lille to a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Riviera. Kasper Dolberg opened the scoring, but Burak Yilmaz levelled shortly after to earn his side a point. Lille won the home meeting 2-0 thanks to goals from Yilmaz and Zeki Celik.
Lille are unbeaten in the last four against Nice, winning two and drawing two. Nice’s last victory in this fixture was 2-0 home success back in November 2018.
Key Facts – Lille vs Nice Betting Tip
- Lille are unbeaten in four against Nice (two wins, two draws)
- Les Dogues won Ligue 1 last term with Galtier at the helm
- Nice finished in ninth last season
With both teams kicking off their league seasons with draws, the pair will be gunning for maximum points here. It could be close on the scoreline, but we fancy the hosts to edge it. Take a punt on the champions to win by one goal at 13/5.
Burak Yilmaz had an exceptional 2020-21 season for Lille, scoring home and away against Nice along the way. We like the look of 7/2 for the Turkey international to score first in this one.
The best betting odds for Lille vs Nice
Lille to win: 4/5 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at Bet365
Nice to win: 15.4 at Bet365
