In a match that could affect the race for Europe as well as the fight for survival in Ligue 1, Lens are set to host Saint-Etienne at Stade Felix Bollaert-Delelis on Sunday.
Le Sang et Or will be looking to bounce back from defeat last time out, while Les Verts will be keen to move on from their 6-1 thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain.
Match preview
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Will Still's Lens have been inconsistent throughout the 2024-25 campaign, and this is perhaps best highlighted by the fact that they have so far either won or lost every match this calendar year.
Having ended a four-game losing streak that spanned the entirety of February with back-to-back 1-0 wins against Marseille and Rennes, Le Sang et Or lost on the road to Lille by the same scoreline last Sunday.
Dropping three points on their return from the international break has left Still's side ninth in the top flight with 39 points, and they are now seven behind sixth-placed Strasbourg, who occupy the spot for entry into next season's Conference League qualifiers.
With ground to make up on the European places, Sunday's hosts will be desperate to make the most of their clash against one of the division's relegation-threatened teams, though given that they have only won twice on their own turf in 2025, fans would be forgiven for feeling anxious prior to kick off.
Should Lens find a way to win this weekend, then they could leapfrog Brest and climb up to eighth in the table, where they may only be four points away from sixth by the next matchday.
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Meanwhile, Eirik Horneland's St Etienne have won just one of their last 11 Ligue 1 games - a 2-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Montpellier HSC on March 16 - while drawing four and losing the other six.
Last time out, Les Verts were hammered 6-1 by PSG at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, and though the defeat was not unexpected, the boss will be disappointed at the way that his team capitulated after taking the lead through Lucas Stassin's ninth-minute opener.
After losing to Les Parisiens, Horneland's men are now 17th in the table with 23 points, one behind Le Havre in the league's relegation playoff spot and three behind 15th-placed Reims, the first club outside the drop zone.
Considering that a rare win would be enough for Sunday's visitors to go level with Les rouges et blancs, they will see their trip to Lens as crucial to making inroads, but having only taken maximum points in one of their away games this season, they will be happy to merely avoid defeat.
That being said, St Etienne's single victory beyond their own ground came in their last away match against La Paillade, and Les Verts may take heart from the fact that they have gone consecutive games without losing on the road leading up to this weekend.
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Team News
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Lens will be without midfielder Neil El Aynaoui this weekend as he serves a suspension for accumulating yellow cards, so expect Andy Diouf to join Nampalys Mendy in the centre of the park.
Versatile left-back Jhoanner Chavez is also missing with an ankle injury, and though goalkeeper Denis Petric could make the squad after recovering from a back problem, Mathew Ryan should continue between the sticks.
Elsewhere, long-term absentee Remy Lascari will miss the rest of the campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament injury that has hampered him since December, and striker M'Bala Nzola will be leading the line in his stead.
As for St Etienne, they have a mostly fit squad ready to make the trip, though right-winger Augustine Boakye is anticipated to be out of action until the end of May due to an ankle injury.
In his place, Horneland is likely to turn to Irvin Cordona to start in a frontline featuring Lucas Stassin and Zuriko Davitashvili.
Lens possible starting lineup:
Ryan; Antonio, Sarr, Medina; Aguilar, Mendy, Diouf, Machado; Sotoca, Nzola, Said
Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Larsonneur; Macon, Batubinsika, Nade, Petrot; Bouchouari, Ekwah, Tardieu; Cardona, Stassin, Davitashvili
We say: Lens 2-1 Saint-Etienne
Lens have been poor overall in 2025, but their ambitions are on the line this weekend, and they will feel confident of taking all three points against one of the division's relegation candidates.
That being said, St Etienne have improved on the road in recent weeks, and given that they scored in each of their last six matches, they could make this game a close-fought contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
