Fighting to keep their Europa League hopes alive, struggling Lille welcome high-flying Freiburg to the Decathlon Arena on Thursday night.
Les Dogues have opened 2026 in disastrous fashion, losing five straight matches across all competitions, including a heavy 4-1 home defeat to Strasbourg. Their Europa League campaign is also in danger, as they sit 21st in the League Phase and must take all three points to stay alive. Lille have also lost their last three home games of 2026, conceding eight goals in the process — and crucially, they are without top scorer Hamza Igamane due to a season-ending knee injury.
Freiburg, meanwhile, travel to France in strong form, with just one defeat in their last eight matches. The Bundesliga side remain unbeaten in the Europa League League Phase, conceding only three goals across seven fixtures, and are close to securing a top-eight finish. With Vincenzo Grifo in excellent scoring form and the team pushing for their first major trophy, Freiburg pose a serious attacking threat.
Given Lille’s defensive struggles and Freiburg’s consistency in front of goal, combined with the high stakes of the match, both teams are expected to find the net.
Prediction: BTTS – Yes
