The Daily Star Ireland
Despite not being a favorite for the top 8 in this Champions League, Lille still aims to qualify directly for the 1/8 finals without facing the play-offs. Currently sitting in 12th place with 10 points, Lille is tied with 6th place Bayer Leverkusen. The team, managed by Bruno Genesio, has shown impressive performances.
They started with a 2-0 loss to a strong Sporting team but rebounded by defeating both Madrid teams—Real 1-0 and Atlético 3-1—and holding Juventus to a 1-1 draw. Most recently, they earned a well-deserved 2-1 victory against Bologna. In Ligue 1, Lille is fighting for a podium spot and will aim to improve their standing by taking on Montpellier and Brest in the coming days.
On the other hand, Sturm Graz has different objectives for the remaining Champions League matches. The Austrian club, ranked 29th with only 3 points, struggled in their first four matches, losing to Brest 2-1, Club Bruges 1-0, Sporting 2-0, and Dortmund 1-0.
They finally secured a win against Girona 1-0. Despite these challenges in the Champions League, Sturm Graz is performing well in the Austrian Bundesliga, where they are leading the competition. Before facing Lille, they will play against Rheindorf Altach and Wattens.
Lille faces several absences, including the unfortunate Bentaleb, defender Umtiti, and midfielder André Gomes, who are not registered for the Champions League. Right back Tiago Santos, midfielder Angel Gomes, and substitute Ethan Mbappé are still recovering. Striker David, with 7 Ligue 1 goals and 4 in the Champions League, is expected to lead the attack. Zhegrova, with 4 league goals and 1 in the Champions League, has also been impressive. Young midfielder Mukau was crucial in their win against Bologna, scoring twice.
Sturm Graz might miss long-term injured Borkovic, and important defender Goren Stankovic, along with center forward Sarkaria and midfielder Skern, who are not eligible for the competition. Striker Camara and starting goalkeeper Sherpen are expected to return after missing the Girona match. With 10 league goals, young Danish striker Biereth is a significant offensive threat and scored the winning goal against Girona. Georgian international Kiteishvili, with 6 goals, is also expected to play a key role.
Prediction
Sturm Graz’s consistency in away matches has seen under 3.5 goals in 12 of their last 14 trips since promotion. Lille’s recent form shows 15 of their last 18 games at this level have had no more than three goals.
Prediction: Lille 1 : 1 Sturm Graz.
