Lens will hope to keep their slim chances of European qualification alive when they travel to the Stade Auguste-Delaune to take on Reims on Sunday afternoon.
With three games remaining of the Ligue 1 season, the visitors are five points behind fifth-placed Nice, but they will be coming up against a side with little to play for.
Match preview
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Reims are stuck in mid-table mediocrity as we reach the sharp end of the Ligue 1 season, 12th in the table with a five-point gap to 11th and a seven-point gap over the relegation battle.
That has been the case for a while and Les Rouges et Blancs have shown the mixed form one would expect under those circumstances in recent weeks.
A loss against Rennes was followed up by a goalless draw with Montpellier, and an unexpected win over Lille was followed up by a loss to Marseille.
They turned it around again last weekend, though, with a feel-good first goal of the season from Arber Zeneli after his long lay-off with an ACL injury and a clinical finish from El-Bilal Toure enough for a 2-1 win away at Lorient.
Oscar Garcia will now have to do his best to motivate his men to build on that result and finish the season on a high.
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They will be going up against stiffer opposition, though, in a Lens side desperate to claw back their chances of continental football next season.
Corentin Jean's late party-spoiling equaliser away at the Parc des Princes, as Paris Saint-Germain were crowned champions, kept his side very much in the fight for the top five.
However, a disastrous start against Nantes last time out undid that hard work, Moses Simon scoring goals either side of a red card for Lens keeper Jean-Louis Leca after a rash sprint out of his area.
Franck Haise's side showed good tenacity, however, and came out a different side in the second half, goals from David Costa and Arnaud Kalimuendo earning them a well-deserved point.
Good recovery or not, that single point saw them slip further away from the European spots and now nothing other than a victory will do this weekend.
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Team News
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After an impressive performance against Lorient, Garcia looks unlikely to make too many changes here, especially in attack where the finally-fit partnership of Zeneli and Toure each picked up a goal.
Fraser Hornby was fit enough for the bench against Les Merlus - although he will not break into the starting XI just yet - leaving just Fode Doucoure in the treatment room.
As for the visitors, Kalimuendo is certain to return to a front two, most likely alongside Florian Sotoca.
There are more returnees in the shape of Kevin Danso, who comes back from suspension, and Facundo Medina who is fit again and should join the Austrian in a back three.
Leca will miss out thanks to the aforementioned red card, leaving backup goalkeeper Walter Farinez the responsibility of keeping Reims out.
Reims possible starting lineup:
Rajkovic; Gravillon, Faes, Abdelhamid; Foket, Lopy, Matusiwa, Kebbal, Locko; Toure, Zeneli
Lens possible starting lineup:
Farinez; Medina, Danso, Gradit; Frankowski, Fofana, Doucoure, Clauss; Costa; Kalimuendo, Sotoca
We say: Reims 1-2 Lens
Lens will be riding a wave of self-belief after their unlikely fightback last weekend and have more to play for than their hosts. Therefore, we are backing them to edge a closely-fought encounter and claim all three points to keep their faint European hopes alive.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats, suggests the most likely outcome of this match is a Lens win with a probability of 39.83%. A win for Reims has a probability of 33.2% and a draw has a probability of 27%.
The most likely scoreline is Reims 1-1 Lens with a probability of 12.8% and the second most likely scoreline is Reims 0-1 Lens with a probability of 10.88%.
Top tip
James Mackenzie
