Wednesday 20/08/2014, 20:45, Champions League Qualifiers, Lille vs Porto

Lille vs Porto Preview

Lille has been an avatar of consistency over the last couple of weeks, but scoring goals was particularly difficult for the French side. In the first leg of the decisive match for the Champions League groups, they will try to take full advantage of home pitch and prevent the visitors from scoring. Porto is the more experienced side in European competitions, but they were not particularly effective lately and had to settle for Europa League.

Lille vs Porto Odds

At Totepool

Lille 2.60, Draw 3.20, Porto 2.70

Lille vs Porto Tips

The regular season started on a positive note, for Lille as they won four points and kept a clean sheet in each game. Things could've been considerably better, hadn't it been for the scoreless draw recorded in the opening match, when they were held scoreless by newly promoted Metz.

Traditionally a stronghold side, Lille performed better on the road recently, also winning the Champions League Qualifiers against Grasshoppers courtesy to those two goals scored on the road. Origi, Kalou and Martin are the three players that will probably spearhead the offensive, given the fact that all of them played over the weekend.

The French are overall credited with the second chance to make the Champions League groups, but that could change if they manage to secure a narrow margin victory. Manager Girard can be satisfied with the manner in which his back line performed, but needs to start taking more chances upfront.

At least in theory, this is a risky strategy against Porto, one of the best scoring teams in the Portuguese football and a bold squad in European competitions. They were undefeated in the friendly games played on the road and won on four occasions, including the most recent official match. They will try to take the fight to the hosts in the first half and once again give the ball to Martinez, as the only striker.

Key Facts

• Despite the fact that both teams played a lot of games in European Cups, this is the first time that they meet in official game.
• Lille's last six games were all low-scoring ones, with fewer than 2.5 goals being scored

Lille vs Porto Prediction

One choice for punters would be to bet on a low-scoring match, but bookmakers render this otherwise interesting bet virtually unprofitable. The odds are simply too low to warrant the risks, but those who plan on making this match more interesting, should take a leap of faith with the hosts. To keep things safe, it is recommended to take the cover of a 0:0 Asian handicap, which returns the stakes if the match ends undecided.

Bet: Lille Draw no Bet @ 1.90 with Totepool