Liverpool are predicted to beat Lille 2-1.
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Liverpool host Lille at Anfield for their Champions League matchup on Wednesday.
With a flawless record in the Champions League, Liverpool are clear favourites for this contest. Arne Slot’s team have had several slip-ups in recent weeks, however. They needed a pair of added-time goals from Darwin Nunez to beat Brentford at the weekend.
With a place in the top eight and automatic qualification to the knockout rounds almost secured, Slot may choose to rotate for this match. The Premier League has to be the priority in the coming weeks, even with Arsenal dropping points.
Very few bettors will be backing Lille when making Liverpool vs Lille predictions. The Ligue 1 outfit sit eighth after six matches, though, with 13 points from the last 15 available in the Champions League.
A home win over Nice was a welcome boost. Lille had drawn their first three matches after the winter break.
Liverpool probable XI:
Alisson; Bradley, van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Jones, Gravenberch, Elliott; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo.
Lille probable XI:
Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Ribeiro, Ismaily; Andre, Gomes; Bakker, Haraldsson, Cabella; David.
Since beating Girona at the start of last month, Liverpool have only kept two clean sheets in nine matches against topflight opposition. A goalless draw with Auxerre on 10th January is the only time Lille have failed to score since facing Monaco in October.
Their 1-0 win over Real Madrid on matchday two is the only time BTTS hasn’t hit in Lille’s Champions League matches. Both teams have scored in five of their last seven away matches across all competitions.
We see value in this market given Liverpool’s porous defence of late.
The 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley is the only time Liverpool have scored in their last five halves. Liverpool have taken time to break down opponents in recent weeks, with Tottenham, Manchester United, and Brentford shutting them out in first halves.
None of those teams are exactly rock-solid defensively. Lille are a well-organised defensive team, and they kept a clean sheet against Real Madrid earlier this season.
There’s value in backing Liverpool to fail to score in the first half. We expect their superior quality to shine through eventually, but Lille could frustrate them in the first 45.
Among players who have played 200 or more Champions League minutes, only 10 have averaged more expected goals per 90 than Darwin Núñez. Slot is surely going to start the Uruguayan after his match-winning cameo at the weekend.
Taking Núñez to find the net is an easy choice for the final of our Liverpool vs Lille predictions. Mohamed Salah has slumped a little, with no goals in his last three matches. Núñez is notoriously streaky and could be about to get on a hot streak.
We expect Núñez to lead the line. Even when he’s out of form, he manages to generate plenty of shots – just imagine what he can do after his season-changing impact at the weekend.