Lille vs Valencia Predictions

Ligue 1 side Lille will be searching for their first Champions League points of their continental campaign when they welcome La Liga giants Valencia to the Stade Pierre Mauroy on Wednesday.

Les Dogues are without a win in four matches in all competitions ahead of their latest European test, and while consistency in terms of results has been difficult to find for Lille, their ability to find the net remains largely undiminished.

Lille managed to score in each of their last four matches and in seven of their last eight games overall, despite winning only twice during an underwhelming run.

Their knack for getting on the scoresheet is routinely undercut by their habit of conceding at the other end however – in fact, it’s interesting to note that both teams scored in five of Lille’s last six matches and in six of their last eight games overall since early September.

Valencia take a recent record of just one defeat in six with them to France this week, though three draws during that sequence means their points return domestically and in the Champions League hasn’t been as bountiful as it might have.

The Spaniards’ solitary defeat during that run was a 0-3 home reverse to Ajax, a margin of defeat that the Dutch champions also inflicted on Lille when the teams met in Amsterdam last month.

The similarities between Lille and Valencia don’t end there. Like their hosts this week, Los Che’s matches over the past month have returned promising BTTS statistics.

Goals went in at either end in four of Valencia’s last six games and in eight of their last twelve away matches in total since April, a pattern we expect to continue when they meet Lille this week.

The French club hit the net at least once in 100% of the home matches they have contested this season, though a return of just two clean sheets in six at the Stade Pierre Mauroy shines an unflattering light on their continuing defensive problems.

With the aforementioned factors evaluated, we think backing both teams to score this week is the smartest approach for Wednesday’s game, though we expect Lille to earn their first Champions League point of the season by the final whistle.

Les Dogues lost just three of their last 26 games on their own patch, and we’re tipping them to feed off the home crowd’s energy to hold Valencia to a 1-1 draw.