Saint-Etienne vs. Lille OSC 8/21/21 Ligue 1 Soccer Pick, Odds, and Prediction

Saint-Etienne is hosting Lille OSC at Stade Geoffroy Guichard in round 3 of the French Ligue 1. Saint-Etienne is undefeated in their first two games of the season, but they haven’t won any of their last 5 games. Lille has won only 1 of their last 7 games, but they are still without a win in Ligue 1.

Saint-Etienne has had a decent last season where they ended up in 11^th place with 46 points, and I expect pretty much the same from them this season. in their first two games of the season, Saint-Etienne has 2 draws, 3 scored goals, and 3 conceded goals. In their last game against Lens, Saint-Etienne has had 42% of ball possession, 7 shots on goal, 2 corner kicks, 1 big chance created, and 70% of the correct passes. Saint-Etienne has allowed a lot of chances to Lens, but they were leading twice in this game. Lens was able to get back both times, and this match has ended in a 2-2 draw. with 2 scored goals so far, Khazri is the leading goalscorer for Saint-Etienne, while Bouanga added 1 goal. Moueffek, Abi, and Trauco are all injured for Saint-Etienne. I think Saint-Etienne won’t have trouble staying out of the relegation zone, but that’s about all we can expect from them.

After winning the title last season, Lille is struggling a lot at the start of this season. Sure, Lille has won the Super Cup, but that was their only win in their last 7 games. In their first two games in Ligue 1, Lille has 1 draw and a loss. Last weekend, Lille was hosting Nice, and they were the dominant team with 62% of ball possession, 2 shots on goal, 8 corner kicks, 1 big chance created, and a solid 85% of the correct passes. Offensively, Lille was creating some good chances, but their defense was just horrible. Lille has lost this game 0-4 at home. With one goal each, Botman, Yilmaz, and Ikone are the leading goalscorers for Lille. I know it’s only a matter of time before Lille starts playing well because they are a good team, and they are the same team from last season. Will Lille win another title this season, I don’t think so, but they will certainly be competing for the Champions League spot.

Saint-Etienne hasn’t won any of their last 5 games, and they are the weaker team in this matchup. Neither team is in good form, and for that reason, I will side with a better team, and that is Lille, despite playing on the road.