The final match on Saturday night in Ligue 1 will be a top-half battle, with Lens taking on this season's surprise package Brest at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Lens are currently in the final European qualification spot with 69 points after 24 top-flight games, while the visitors are in second place with 46 points over the same period.
Match preview
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After an atrocious start to the 2023-24 campaign, which included just a single point from their first five league games, Lens looked as though they would struggle to hit the dizzying heights they managed last season when they finished a single point behind league winners Paris Saint-Germain.
However, an excellent run of 11 games unbeaten (W7 D4 L0) leading up to Christmas saw the Blood and Gold make up valuable ground to the sides in the upper echelons of the table, and they are now in the midst of a heated battle in the chasing pack.
Following their Europa League disappointment, where they were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Freiburg last month, Franck Haise's side were bitterly unlucky not to have shared the spoils against Monaco a few days later but did secure an impressive 3-0 win over Lyon on the road last weekend.
Lens will now return to Stade Bollaert-Delelis, where they have lost two of their last three Ligue 1 matches, which is the same number of losses they had conceded in their previous 32 home games (W25 D5), and if they lose this one, it will mark the first time the team has lost consecutive top-flight home matches since January 2021.
Undoubtedly, the hosts will have to be at their absolute best to stand a chance of taking anything from this one, having lost the reverse fixture 3-2 back in August and only earning a single point against teams in the top six this season (W0 D1 L6), which is the lowest tally of any side in the top flight.
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Meanwhile, after avoiding the drop by just nine points last season, Brest are without question the most improved side in the league this term and will have the opportunity to cut the gap to the league leaders to six points overnight, with PSG only scheduled to play on Sunday afternoon.
Les Pirates will head into this encounter with their tails up, following a 1-0 win over Le Havre last weekend, which extended their current win streak to three in a row while they have not been beaten in the league in 13 outings (W9 D4 L0), which is their longest-ever unbeaten run in the French top flight.
Much of the visitors' success this season can be attributed to their solid defence, where they have conceded just 18 goals in 24 matches, which is the second-best record in the league - only one goal more than Nice have shipped.
Eric Roy's side are also unbeaten in their last six Ligue 1 matches on the road (W4 D2 L0), and another win on Saturday will bring up their longest undefeated run away from home in the club's top-flight history.
Team News
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Jimmy Cabot is the only long-term injury absentee for Lens, and the midfielder is expected to miss the remainder of the league campaign due to a cruciate ligament tear.
Deiver Machado, Massadio Haidara and Jhoanner Chavez are also ruled out through injury for this match, while centre-back Facundo Medina will have to serve a one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.
Brest are missing just two players at the moment, with Julien Le Cardinal being granted special leave and Jordan Amavi nursing a calf injury, though the latter is expected to return to action this month.
Mahdi Camara scored Brest's only hat-trick so far this season against Strasbourg at the end of last month and should keep his place in attacking midfield alongside Pierre Lees-Melou and Hugo Magnetti.
Lens possible starting lineup:
Samba; Gradit, Danso, Khusanov; Aguilar, Mendy, Aynaoui, Frankowski; Costa, Wahi, Sotoca
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Lala, Brassier, Chardonnet, Locko; Camara, Lees-Melou, Magnetti; Del Castillo, Satriano, Lage
We say: Lens 2-2 Brest
While Brest undoubtedly have better form coming into this match, Lens are no pushover and are well capable of giving any side a run for their money on their day. The Blood and Gold have not lost back-to-back home league games in over two years, and we feel that they will be able to secure a share of the spoils in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
