Lens take on Brest in Ligue 1 on Wednesday with the two sides separated by a solitary point in the league table ahead of the winter break.
The hosts, who have a game in hand on most sides in the division, can end 2020 in a top six position with a win.
Match preview
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Indeed, having only been promoted as Ligue 2 runners-up last season, it has been a season to remember so far for Lens upon their return to the top flight.
Franck Haise's side have gone from strength to strength since stunning the reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain with a 1-0 win in early September, taking 24 points from 15 games overall to currently occupy eighth place.
Former Chelsea winger Gael Kakuta has displayed inspired form, with his strike in the impressive 3-0 win against Monaco last week his seventh goal in 14 starts.
However, Haise will be more than aware that his side are far from the finished article yet, with his side struggling to break down a disciplined Metz side despite retaining far more possession of the ball during Saturday's disappointing 2-0 defeat.
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Brest, meanwhile, have had a more than respectable campaign thus far after surviving upon their return to Ligue 1 last season.
Like Lens, Brest were promoted as Ligue 2 runners-up in the 2018-19 campaign, with Olivier Dall'Aglio guiding them to 14th place last season prior to the curtailment of all French football due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With former Huddersfield Town striker Steve Mounie providing a focal point in attack, Brest have really kicked on this season by taking 23 points from 16 matches to kick any relegation fears to touch.
Indeed, after beating struggling Reims 2-1, Dall'Aglio's side have since avoided defeat against top six opposition in Lyon and Montpellier, drawing 2-2 on both occasions. The 56-year-old will be imploring his side to beat Lens and end the calendar year in a top-half position.
Lens Ligue 1 form: DLWLWL
Brest Ligue 1 form: WWLWDD
Team News
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Lens are without right-back Cheick Traore with an Achilles tendon injury, but the Mali international should return to first-team action in the New Year.
Otherwise, Haise has no injury or suspension concerns, but may look to make a few changes given the quick turnaround between fixtures and the disappointing result at Metz last time out.
Brest, meanwhile, will not have the services of Paul Bastien Lasne, with the midfielder still to serve two games of his suspension after his straight red card against Lyon.
Jeremy Le Douaron and Denys Bain are unavailable due to injury, with the latter a long-term absentee due to a cruciate ligament rupture.
Lens possible starting lineup:
Leca; Gradit, Bade, Haidara; Clauss, Cahuzac, Doucoure, Sylla; Kakuta; Ganago, Sotoca
Brest possible starting lineup:
Larsonneur; Pierre-Gabriel, Chardonnet, Herelle, Perraud; Faivre, Belkebla, Mbock, Philippoteaux; Mounie, Cardona
We say: Lens 1-1 Brest
Brest come into this clash in the better form of the two sides, but have generally performed worse on the road this season.
We can envisage an evenly-matched draw, with Lens keeping their one point advantage over their opponents in the table.
Top betting tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Lens win with a probability of 47.81%. A win for Brest had a probability of 26.29% and a draw had a probability of 25.9%.
The most likely scoreline for a Lens win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.8%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.23%) and 2-0 (8.86%). The likeliest Brest win was 0-1 (8.2%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.3%). The actual scoreline of 2-1 was predicted with a 9.2% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Lens would win this match.
