Lille vs Red Star Belgrade predictions: Home advantage to give Lille the edge
Elliott Bretland
Lille lost five straight games at the start of 2026, but have drawn their last two
Red Star Belgrade are unbeaten in eight matches, winning six
Recommended bet: Lille win and under 2.5 goals
Lille welcome Red Star Belgrade to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Thursday evening as the two sides meet in the first leg of their Europa League play-off tie.
The Ligue 1 side will be hoping to avenge November's 1-0 league phase defeat in the Serbian capital by claiming victory in the first leg.
Unbeaten in nine games, the Serb side will be confident of earning a positive result and so it is set to be an intriguing clash in Northern France.
The latest Lille vs Red Star Belgrade odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Lille are dealing with a number of absences, with former Rangers striker Hamza Igamane, their top scorer in the Europa League, out for the season.
Thomas Meunier has a hamstring issue, as do Ethan Mbappe and Noah Edjouma, while Osame Sahraoui is dealing with a groin problem and Ousmane Toure is sidelined until April.
Brazilian winger Milson, who appeared for Red Star against Lille in November, has joined Al Jazira on loan for the rest of the season.
Striker Bruno Duarte did not feature in his side's Serbian 3-0 SuperLiga victory at Zeleznicar Pancevo on Saturday and may be a doubt.
The stats
Lille and Red Star met for the first-ever time in UEFA competition back in November and will have faced each other three times by at the end of the season.
Red Star were the lowest scorers to progress, netting just seven times in eight matches, but the Star conceded just six times.
Lille did not draw a single game in the Europa League league phase, winning four and losing four.
Red Star's best performance in the Europa League/UEFA Cup came in the 1978/79 season when they reached the final, before losing 2-1 on aggregate to Borussia Monchengladbach.
The latest Lille vs Red Star Belgrade odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Lille endured a horror start to this calendar year with five straight losses, but have arrested the slide with a win and two draws in their last four matches.
While Red Star have not lost in nine, Lille pose a more serious test than the sides they come up against domestically in Serbia and so it will be a difficult challenge.
Despite having a number of players sidelined through injury, the Ligue 1 outfit still possess quality and should have enough to earn a narrow victory.
Backing under 2.5 goals could prove a clever pick as Lille's last four matches have all featured two goals or less.
The French side have found the net just twice while recording two clean sheets.
Red Star are also the lowest scorers to progress in the Europa League this season and so a goal fest is unlikely on Thursday evening.
Back Lille to win and under 2.5 goals at 3/1 with LiveScore Bet
