Currently managed by a seasoned top tactician in Bruno Génésio, Lille are once more playing some of the best football in France. Dominating possession in most of their games, averaging 57.6% last season, and focusing on generating high quality opportunities, producing 0.12 non-penalty expected goals per shot (the fifth highest in France), Génésio’s side are a patient but lethal outfit. Like any other team that wants to dominate the ball they also press aggressively without it, recording the most tackles in the attacking third of any team in Ligue 1 last season (3.29 per 90). This rarely translates into hectic counter-attacking though. Instead, Lille focus on re-establishing control and waiting for clear openings when winning the ball high.
Starting left-winger Osame Sahraoui fits into this approach perfectly as one of the most accurate chance creators in Europe. Unlike many other risk-taking forwards, Sahraoui manages to produce significant creative output, 0.3 xA per 90 (top 9% in Ligue 1), whilst maintaining an 83.9% pass completion rate (top 7%). The young Moroccan is one of the best outlet forwards in France, receiving 11.07 progressive passes per 90 (top 12%) and is another example of the incredible recruitment operation at Lille, signing for just €8m from Heerenveen last summer.
Another brilliant signing made by Lille in recent years is centre-back Alexsandro. The Brazilian defender arrived for just €2m from Chaves in Portugal after taking a somewhat unorthodox route to the top through the lower divisions of Portuguese football. Since moving to Lille, Alexsandro has quickly established himself as one of the best defenders in the division. His progressive numbers dwarf those of most other centre-backs, ranking in the top 6% for progressive passes (5.93 per 90) and the top 26% for progressive carries (0.83 per 90). And unlike some other defenders who focus first on progression and sometimes lack the physical qualities to dominate the duels, Alexsandro ranks as one of the best in the air too with a 71.9% win-rate, ranking in the top 11%.
Between an exciting cast of forwards and defenders from around the world, captain Benjamin André keeps things ticking in the middle. Heading into his seventh season with Les Dogues, André has been a consistent presence alongside names like Amadou Onana, Carlos Baleba, Angel Gomes and current up-and-comers Ngal’ayel Mukau and Ayyoub Bouaddi. Despite the incredible talent that has come through at Lille in the middle of the pitch over recent years, André has kept his place thanks to his incredible defensive work-rate and duelling ability where he ranks in the top 4% for tackles and interceptions (5.05 per 90), in the top 14% for ball recoveries (6.32 per 90) and as the number one winner of aerials amongst midfielders in France (3.14 per 90). This may paint a picture of a grizzled destroyer in the middle but André also performs incredibly well with the ball, producing 6.99 progressive passes per 90 (top 13%) whilst taking on the highest passing load of any midfielder in Génésio’s side.