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Ligue 1 preview and tips: Lille can step up top four push against inconsistent Lyon

Friday's kick-off gives Lille chance to put pressure on the teams above them in Ligue 1, and Tipstrr football expert Sergiu Baltuta thinks their quality should earn three vital points against Lyon.

In the first game of round 27 in Ligue 1, Lille OSC will play against Olympique Lyonnais at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Friday night. 

It's a particularly crucial game for the hosts, who are just outside the European qualifying spots, while Lyon have endured another poor season by their standards to sit in 10th place in the Ligue 1 table.

Following the World Cup, Lille enjoyed a six-game unbeaten run, but right now they seemed to have lost that consistency, losing twice in the last month against Nice and PSG.

However, they kept their top four hopes alive last weekend when drawing 1-1 at fourth-placed Lens, where they had in-form striker Jonathan David's 16th goal of the season to thank for their second-half equaliser.

Only Kylian Mbappe (18) has scored more Ligue 1 goals this season than the Canadian sensation and he will without doubt be Lille's player to watch.

Against Lyon, however, they have been very consistent in the last few seasons, losing only one of the last 12 games played against them in Ligue 1(6 wins, five draws), with that solitary defeat being in the reverse fixture this season. 

The last time they lost both games of the season against Lyon in Ligue 1 was in the 2006/2007 season, and Lille are also undefeated in their last 10 league games at home (seven wins and three draws).

After a promising start to their campaign, Lyon entered a poor run of form that saw them pick up only one point from their next six games, a sequence which ultimately caused head coach Peter Bosz to be replaced by Laurent Blanc.

With the former France manager at the helm "Les Gones" have still failed to turn the corner in terms of that elusive consistency, leaving them no better than mid-table, well clear of any relegation worries but a dozen points behind the top four.
While Lille need a win to help their claim for a European spot, Lyon do have another option after reaching the semi-finals of the Coupe de France, which they are favourites to win to reach the Europa League via that route.
All factors considered Laurent Blanc's team might be better advised focusing on those Cup ambitions, and as it's difficult to see them coming away from Lille who appear to have much more to play for.

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