Valencia vs Lille 06/11/19

6 November 2019

Valencia are in a ‘must-win situation’ ahead of their UEFA Champions League (CL) clash against dead-last Lille at the Estadio de Mestalla.

After a bright start to Group E and a 1-0 away win over Chelsea, the hosts have struggled to live up to expectations in the next two group matches (D1, L1). Sitting two points adrift of Chelsea and Ajax, the Oranges are looking to improve their intimidating home record against the Ligue 1 visitors (W9, L2). Last weekend’s 2-1 La Liga away win over Espanyol saw Valencia bring a four-game winless run in all competitions to a halt (D3, L1), but it was the seventh consecutive competitive match that they’ve failed to keep a blank sheet. Interestingly, it’s been ‘all or nothing’ for Valencia when at Mestalla in their recent continental fixtures here, as they’ve picked up 12 wins in 17 of their previous European matches at home (L5).

As for the visitors, they’ve registered their first group point thanks to a 1-1 draw with Valencia in the reversed fixture. However, ‘Les Dogues’ are not comfortable playing away from home in Europe’s top-tier competition, having gone down in ten of 17 CL road trips so far (W3, D4). Four of those defeats have come against Spanish opponents they’ve also lost to in four of the last six matchups (D2). Additionally, Christophe Galtier has to worry about his team’s disastrous away form this term, as Lille have sustained five defeats in seven competitive away games (D2), scoring one goal or less in each of those fixtures.