- 1 Lens vs Auxerre : the winter transfer window kings up against a quiet newcomer
- 2 Lens : a strong summer and a trophy already in the cabinet
- 3 Auxerre : a fresh project and a nasty opening trip
- 4 Ligue 1 prediction Lens vs Auxerre
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Lens vs Auxerre : the winter transfer window kings up against a quiet newcomer 
Matchday one of Ligue 1 gives Lens a home opener at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Saturday 22 August at 17h15. The Blood and Gold meet Auxerre with an unusual sort of weight on their shoulders.
The Artois club are coming off the most accomplished season in their recent history, lifting the French Cup and finishing runners-up behind PSG. That spring has completely reset expectations around this side.
Better still, Lens have already got a competitive result in the bag after beating Paris 1-0 in the Champions Trophy last week. Florian Thauvin delivered the club’s first win in the competition.
It also marked Dino Toppmoller’s first game in charge. The German coach, brought in over the summer, kicked off his reign with silverware. Not a bad way to start.
Auxerre arrive with much more modest aims. Fifteenth last season, AJA only stayed clear of the play-offs by winning three on the spin in the final stretch.
The club from Yonne have also changed direction in the dugout, handing the reins to Will Still, who replaces Christophe Pellissier. The Belgian knows Lens inside out after working there himself.
That adds an extra layer to this fixture, even if the balance of power still looks badly skewed on paper. Lens are priced at 1,57 while an Auxerre win is out at 5,60.
The odds point to a 64% chance of a Lens victory, compared with just 12% for the visitors. Last season, Bollaert also went the way of the home side in this matchup (1-0).
Lens : a strong summer and a trophy already in the cabinet 
Lens have powered through pre-season, winning four of seven games. The quality of the opposition matters more than the raw record here.
Boulogne (4-1), Crystal Palace (3-0), Villarreal (3-1) and Sunderland (4-1) were all beaten. Three of those four wins came by at least two goals, which says plenty about the attacking strength in this squad.
The standout result, of course, was that 1-0 win over PSG in the Champions Trophy. Beating the reigning champions in the first competitive match of the season sets the tone immediately.
Florian Thauvin scored the winner in that final and now arrives full of confidence. His influence in the final third remains one of the keys to Toppmoller’s system.
The transfer market has still taken its toll, with Sarr leaving for NEOM and Said, who scored 12 goals, heading to Al-Shamal. Thomasson, to Rennes, and Sangare, to Brentford, have also gone.
Masuaku and Saint-Maximin moved on after only six months in Artois. There has been plenty of turnover at the back and in midfield.
The club have responded by bringing in Nawrocki, formerly of Celtic, to shore up the centre of defence. Ivanovic has arrived on loan from Benfica to support the attack.
Cuisance, from Hertha Berlin, and Titraoui, signed from Charleroi, have come in to add depth in midfield. Both started in the Champions Trophy.
The defensive end is still the main concern this weekend. Antonio is suspended after his red card against PSG, while Baidoo, Gradit and Chavez are unavailable.
Thorgan Hazard is also serving a ban and will miss the opener. The good news is up front: Odsonne Edouard, who scored 14 goals last season, is expected to be back in the squad.
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Auxerre : a fresh project and a nasty opening trip 
Auxerre begin their third straight season in the top flight with survival as the only real target. Last season, they saved themselves with a run of three wins right at the end of the campaign.
Away form is still the biggest problem for this side. AJA finished with the 14th-best record in the division on the road, with two wins, six draws and nine defeats.
That makes this trip to Bollaert a serious ask. Few grounds in Ligue 1 are more hostile, and starting here feels close to a poisoned chalice.
Pre-season was respectable, though, with just one defeat in five games, that coming against Orleans (1-2). The Burgundy side also beat Lusitanos St-Maur (5-2) and Werder Bremen (0-1).
Two draws completed the picture, against Sochaux (1-1) and Troyes (1-1). Solid enough, sure, but it does not answer the bigger question over their actual level.
The dressing room has been stripped of much of its experience over the summer. Leon has joined Abha, Mensah has gone to Cologne, Owusu to Erzurumspor, and Sinayoko has moved to Paris FC with his 12 goals.
El Azzouzi has returned to Bologna and Mara to Strasbourg after their respective loans. The lack of attacking reference points is a big issue for a team that was already short on goals.
Will Still is working with a squad that has been heavily rebuilt, with Sekou Fofana, Piedfort, Makosso and young Chinese striker Xiangxin Wei all arriving. Nardi and Diop are battling for the number one shirt.
The injury list makes life even harder, with centre-back Okoh and midfielder Diousse both out. Casimir, Siwe and Coulibaly are still doubts.
There is also an admin issue hanging over the squad: Labeau Lascary, on loan from Lens, may not be eligible to face his parent club. It all leaves Still with fewer options.
The attack is likely to revolve around Bair and Namaso, with Faivre in support. Even so, the trio are still finding their feet together at this stage of the season.
Expected Lens line-up : Risser – Ganiou, Nawrocki, Udol – Abdulhamid, Cuisance, Titraoui, Aguilar – Thauvin, Ivanovic – Sima (ou Edouard)
Expected Auxerre line-up : Diop – Sy, Diomande, Makosso, Akpa – Piedfort, Danois, Ahamada – Faivre, Bair, Namaso
Ligue 1 prediction Lens vs Auxerre
Our prediction: Lens to win
Lens already have a trophy in the cabinet and a solid pre-season behind them, capped by wins over Crystal Palace, Villarreal and Sunderland. Auxerre, by contrast, arrive with the 14th-best away record from last season and without several of their best attacking players.
Lens do have real defensive absences, but this is still a side that scored at least three goals in four of their seven pre-season matches. At the other end, Auxerre have lost Sinayoko and his 12 goals without bringing in an equivalent replacement.
Bollaert already saw AJA fold on this same pitch last season (1-0). At 1,57, the Lens win looks like the sensible call for this opener.
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