Liverpool Vs Lille Prediction: The Reds Keep A Victory Record At Anfield

Liverpool are currently at the top of the Champions League phase standings (photo: @lfc)

JAKARTA - Liverpool will continue their journey in the Champions League with a great opportunity to secure tickets to the round of 16 on Tuesday night January 21 or Wednesday morning WIB, when they host Lille at Anfield Stadium. This match is predicted to be an intensityful match given the position of the two decisive teams in this league phase.

Liverpool are currently at the top of the Champions League league stage standings, recording six perfect wins from six matches. Their last win came with a narrow 1-0 score against Girona on December 10. Despite successfully maintaining a winning record, the match showed a small weakness in the Reds' defense. They faced eight shots from inside the penalty box and almost conceded 1.25 xG, more than they made from open play.

However, Arne Slot's men remain one of the most solid teams in the competition, with just one conceded throughout the group stage. They also showed consistent performance in the Premier League, where they were six points ahead of Arsenal who were in second place, with one game in hand. A 2-0 win over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday 18 January is proof of their strength, especially when Arsenal slipped with a draw against Aston Villa on the same day.

However, Liverpool's performance in recent weeks has shown quite a variety of trends. Of the last five games in all competitions, they have won only two games, with two draws and one defeat. However, Anfield remains a strong stronghold for them, with a record of nine wins from the last 13 games at home.

Meanwhile, Lille came to Anfield with high confidence after a dramatic 3-2 win against Sturm Graz on December 11. In that match, they had a 2-0 lead before finally securing a win through Hason Arnar Haraldsson's goal in the 81st minute. Bruno Genesio's team is now in eighth position in the league stage standings with 13 points, occupying the final slot to qualify automatically for the last 16.

In the domestic competition, Lille also showed a stable performance. They are in third place in Ligue 1 with 32 points from 18 matches, securing a position to qualify automatically for next season's Champions League. In their Champions League journey this season, Lille have only lost once to six games and are unbeaten in the last five matches, with four wins in that period.

Even more impressive, Les Nordistes are unbeaten in 21 matches in all competitions, winning 12 of them. In the away match, Lille also showed toughness with an unbeaten record in the last 11 matches since September 2024. This record became an important asset for them when they traveled to Liverpool headquarters.

Liverpool must appear without defender Joe Gomez who is still absent until early February. This makes coach Arne Slot most likely to rely on Wataru Endo to have a duet with Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defense, especially given Ibrahima Konate's long injury history.

Diogo Jota is also doubtful of appearing due to a minor injury. If he is not fit, Luis Diaz will most likely fill the front line alongside Mohamed Salah and Federico Chiesa in the wing sector. In midfield, Harvey Elliott is likely to appear early after his fine performance as a substitute against Brentford. He will likely join Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch in midfield in Slot's flagship 4-2-3-1 formation.

On the other hand, Lille also had to face a number of absences from key players. Defender Tiago Santos is confirmed to be absent until the end of the season, while Samuel Umtiti is also still injured and is only expected to return to January. Under these conditions, Thomas Meunier, Bafode Diakite, Alexandro Ribeiro, and Ismaily are expected to fill the defense line, with Benjamin Andre and Ayyoub Bouaddi playing defensive midfielder.

On the front lines, Lille will most likely rely on Jonathan David as the spearhead of the attack, supported by the trio of Mitchel Bakker, Remy Cabella, and Osame Sahraoui. However, they had to perform without Edon Zhegrova and Mathias Fernandez-Pardo who were also sidelined by injury.

Liverpool is the only team in the Champions League this season that has managed to wipe out six wins in the group stage. On the other hand, Lille also showed a stable performance with only one defeat in this competition. With these statistics, this match is expected to be fierce.

Liverpool are clearly seeded in this match, especially with their advantage as hosts at Anfield, which is known as one of the most difficult stadiums to conquer. The Reds have a strong defensive line and deadly attack, especially with the presence of Mohamed Salah who became their mainstay in scoring goals.

However, Lille is not a team that can be underestimated. With an unbeaten record in the last 21 games, they came with high confidence. Jonathan David is a player Liverpool's defense should watch out for, given his sharpness in front of the opponent's goal.

The match is expected to go tight, but Liverpool have a greater chance of winning and securing tickets to the round of 16. The final score prediction is 2-1 for the Reds' win.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Endo, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Gravenberch; Salah, Elliott, Chiesa; Diaz

Lille (4-2-3-1):Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Ribeiro, Ismaily; Andre, Bouaddi; Bakker, Cabella, Sahraoui; David