Lille and Lyon will face off in a key Ligue 1 clash, with the two sides looking to keep their status in the Ligue 1. Lyon have not been the best in the league so far this season and are currently sitting in tenth place. They have been in poor form for the majority of this season, having won 11 and lost nine of their 26 games so far. Lille, on the other hand, had a slow start but picked up the pace soon and lost only one of their last five. Lille are at 45 points, with a chance to build pressure for the European spot. A drop in form for teams such as Lens or Rennes will be a crucial factor if Lille are to climb the table. A win is a must for both teams as one eye glory and the other looks to redeem their long-lost status in the French top division. Below are some stats looking at the likelihood of the outcome of this match.
The viz above shows the percentile rank of both teams’ stats compared to each other as well as to other teams in Ligue 1. It can be seen that Lille are better ranked in most of the departments. They have similar percentile ranks in terms of PPDA and entries into the penalty area per 90 minutes. Lyon delivers more crosses and are better off putting pressure on the opponents high up the pitch.
Lyon maintains 57.57% possession and attempts 551.52 passes on average with an accuracy of 86%. They make 88.27 recoveries per 90 minutes. Whereas, Lille keeps the ball for 59.33% of the match on average, attempting 549.2 passes with an accuracy of 87.8%. Additionally, Lille makes 82 recoveries per match.
Both teams in front of the goal
Lille have scored 46 goals (49.69 xG). The top scorer for Lille in the 2022–23 French Ligue 1 is Jonathan David, with 16 goals. Their goal output is decent in comparison to the number of shots taken; they have taken 369 shots in 26 matches, averaging 14.68 shots per 90 minutes. The above viz depicts the shot map for Lille and shows how they attempted most shots from the penalty area. The team has a shot accuracy of 38.8% per 90 and has found the back of the net three times, all from distance.
Lyon have scored 35 goals from open play next to four penalties and have a non-penalty xG of 43.85 this season. The top scorer for Lyon in the 2022–23 French Ligue 1 is Alexandre Lacazette with 14 goals, and he is a key player for the side. The team takes 13 shots per 90 with an accuracy rate of 43.8%. The team has scored most of its goals from inside the box despite attempting plenty of shots from distance and has scored only three from outside the box, as seen in the visual above.
Defensive record this season
The above viz shows Lille’s defensive territory from their current season in the French top tier. Lille have conceded a total of 33 goals, having kept seven clean sheets in total. The team makes 82 recoveries per 90 minutes and 37.76 interceptions, which is slightly better compared to their opponents this season. They haven’t given away any dangerous fouls, but they average 13.28 fouls per 90 minutes. They won 57.7% of defensive duels and 44.8% of aerial duels contested. They have a slightly higher backline as compared to their opponents.
Lyon have a better number than the hosts in terms of letting in goals, as they have let in only 28 goals so far this season. Their defence is performing well, but the team is still not able to make it big in the standings. They have managed to keep six clean sheets this season. Lyon are the only team that have not let in more than 30 goals from teams sitting between tenth and last in the league. Whereas only Monaco, Lille, and Lorient have allowed more than 30 goals this season and are sitting in the top ten.
The above viz shows the defensive territory of the team this season in Ligue 1. It indicates that Lyon were involved in a lot of defensive actions throughout the pitch and were also active in making interceptions on the flanks. They have made 39.27 average interceptions, winning 45.6% of the aerial duels and 63.4% of the defensive duels contested per 90. They have committed one foul in the box. They commit 13 fouls on average and concede 1.08 goals per 90 minutes.
Key Player
Jonathan David is pumping goals for Lille and is a crucial part of their attack. In the 2022–23 French Ligue 1, Jonathan David played 25 matches. David has 31 shots on target from a total of 68 and has scored 16 goals (13.94 xG). All of his goals have come from inside and around the six-yard box, along with a few attempts on goal from outside the box. He has also helped his teammates score by providing four assists. The Lyon backline will have to be aware of David’s positioning at all times in order to prevent any kind of damage.
Team news
Lyon will be without Anthony Lopes, Jerome Boateng, Malo Gusto Thiago Mendes, and Jeffinho due to injuries. Meanwhile, Lille will host Lyon without the likes of Ismaily, Diakhite, and Adam Ounas due to injuries.
In conclusion, Saturday‘s Ligue 1 clash at the Stade Pierre Mauroy between Lille and Lyon promises to be an interesting and intense encounter. Both teams played to a draw last time out. Lille played Lens away, netting one each, and Lyon had a clash with Lorient at home that ended in a goalless draw. The result of those had a big impact on the French top flight’s standings, but there is still plenty to play for.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
