The Ligue 1 Matchday 29 encounter between Lens and Reims will take place on April 11 at the Bollaert-Delelis Stadium. Lens vs. Reims: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Lens
The club secured a 1-0 victory against Saint-Etienne in the last round. Interestingly, Lens has won by the same scoreline in 3 of their last 4 Ligue 1 matches (one defeat). Despite the win over Saint-Etienne, the team remains in 9th place in the Ligue 1 standings but has reduced the gap to the European competition spots to 7 points. It is noteworthy that Lens' matches are still among the lowest-scoring in the current championship, averaging 2.2 goals per game. The club's defense is also one of the most reliable, having conceded only 30 goals, second only to PSG (26).
- No more than 2 goals have been scored in 8 of the team's last 10 Ligue 1 matches.
- Lens' uncompromising streak in this tournament stands at 13 matches (6 wins, 7 losses).
- The club has not scored more than once in 6 of their last 7 home league encounters.
Projected lineup for Lens (3-4-3)
Matthew Ryan – Facundo Medina, Djoum Ba, Malang Sarr – Deiver Machado, Neil El Aynaoui, Adrien Thomasson, Ruben Aguilar – Andy Diouf, Florian Sotoca, Wesley Said.
Midfielder Neil El Aynaoui is unavailable due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Reims
After two unbeaten matches in Ligue 1 (1 win, 1 draw), the team lost their previous encounter 0-1 to Strasbourg. Prior to this period, Reims had gone 16 matches without a win in the French championship. It is also important to note that the club failed to score in 7 of their last 8 Ligue 1 matches. As a result of the defeat in the last round, Reims has slipped into the playoff zone in the elite French championship standings, dropping to 16th place.
- The club has won with a handicap (+1.5) in 8 of their last 11 Ligue 1 matches.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 7 of Reims' last 9 away league encounters.
- The team's winless away streak in the top French division stands at 7 matches (3 draws, 4 losses).
Projected lineup for Reims (4-3-3)
Yehvann Diouf – Sergio Akieme, Cédric Kipré, Joseph Okumu, Hiroki Sekine – Mory Gbane, Valentin Atangana Edoa, Amadou Koné – Keito Nakamura, Junya Ito, Hafiz Ibrahim.
Defender Cédric Kipré will not play due to suspension.
Referee
François Letexier (France)
Matches – 10 (Ligue 1, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 31;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.1;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 30%.
Lens vs. Reims: Match Prediction
The hosts continue to secure victories without much flair, keeping them in the race for a European spot. Lens won their last two home games 1-0. Moreover, the club's previous 5 Ligue 1 wins were all with clean sheets, with no more than 2 goals scored in each. This does not bode well for Reims, who are struggling in attack, having failed to score in 7 of their last 8 French championship matches. Additionally, they left the field without scoring in their last 4 away Ligue 1 games.
I do not think the poorly performing Reims attack, which fails to score even against outsiders, will breach one of the league's most reliable defenses. It is also unlikely that the visitors will manage to pick up points. They have lost to Lens in their last 4 head-to-head meetings in the French top division, with 2 of those being clean sheets.
I expect Will Still's defensively solid side to extend their home run of clean-sheet victories in Ligue 1. My prediction: Clean sheet victory for Lens
