The Round 18 Ligue 1 match between Lens and Auxerre will take place on January 17 at Bollaert-Delelis Stadium. Lens vs Auxerre: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Lens
Lens performed well in the first match of the new year, managing to beat Toulouse 3:0 away. This was already the fourth big win in the current championship. We must note the current winning run of the home side, which now stands at 7 games in Ligue 1. During this stretch the club kept a clean sheet on 4 occasions. In addition, Lens matched its record for consecutive wins. The club continues to lead the championship, while the gap to Paris Saint-Germain still stands at 1 point.
- The club scored at least two goals in 6 of its last 7 Ligue 1 matches.
- Three or more goals were scored in 8 of Lens's last 11 league matches.
- At home the team has a run of 6 consecutive Ligue 1 victories.
Potential Lens Lineup (3-4-2-1)*
Roben Risser – Malang Sarr, Samson Baidu, Pierre Ganiou – Matthieu Udol, Adrien Thomasson, Andrija Bulatovic, Saud Abdelhamid – Wesley Said, Florian Toven – Odsonne Edouard.
Defenders Jonathan Gradi and Joanner Chaves are out with injuries.
Auxerre
The visitors coached by Christophe Pélissier also played away in the previous round and suffered a 0:2 defeat to Brest. Current form is frankly weak — in the last 12 league matches the team has recorded just 1 win (3 draws and 8 losses), that victory coming against another struggler, Metz (3:1). Auxerre sits in 17th place and is already 4 points adrift of the safe 15th position. It should also be noted that the club has scored the fewest goals in the league — just 14.
- No more than two goals were scored in 5 of the team's last 7 Ligue 1 matches.
- At least one of the opponents failed to score in 5 of Auxerre's last 7 away league games.
- The club's winless away run in Ligue 1 stands at 9 matches — 2 draws and 7 losses.
Potential Auxerre Lineup (4-3-3)*
Donovan Leon – Marvin Senaya, Gideon Mensah, Sinaly Diomande, Lamin Si – Keven Danoua, Elisha Owusu, Rabbi Matondo – Seku Mara, Josue Casimir, Ibrahim Osman.
Defender Gideon Mensah and midfielder Elisha Owusu are suspended. Defender Francisco Sierralta will miss the match due to injury.
Referee
Bastien Dechepy (France)
Matches – 8 (Ligue 1, 2025/26);
Yellow/second yellow cards shown – 30;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 4;
Fouls average per match – 25;
Penalties – 75%.
Lens vs Auxerre: Match Prediction
The hosts are not planning to drop points against one of the tournament's bottom sides. A slip-up could cost the club its leading position, so Lens is fully focused on this match. We believe the team will not only claim victory but will also keep a clean sheet. The home side has not dropped points at their arena across 7 consecutive Ligue 1 matches.
In addition, Lens did not concede in their previous three home league games. The club concedes 0.5 goals per match on average in the championship. Auxerre, on the other hand, has the worst away record in Ligue 1 and has picked up just two points from 8 matches; in their last four away games the visitors scored only 1 goal.
Prediction: Auxerre Under 0.5 Goals
* For each team the starting lineup shown is from its last match in this tournament.
