RC Lens – LOSC Lille Saturday at 17:00 CET (1600 GMT)

>> LIVE SCORING, STATS AND STATISTICS

The battle for European qualification is hotting up and both Lens and Lille are right in the thick of it. Lens Sang et Or sit in fourth place as they welcome their near neighbours, while Lille lie sixth. Lens trail AS Monaco in third – the final UEFA Champions League qualifying spot – only on goal difference, and are four points better off than Stade Rennais FC in fifth. Lille, meanwhile, are behind Rennes by two points.

It looks like sixth place will not be enough to secure European football next season (it would if one of the top five at the end of the season wins the Coupe de France, but all of the current top eight in the table are out of the Cup), so Lille need to keep picking up points as they bid to return to the continental stage, but Lens must also arrest a slump in form.

Franck Haise’s team are on the rebound after being knocked out of the Coupe de France in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, losing 2-1 away to holders FC Nantes. That result ended Lens’ dream of lifting that trophy for the first time and continued what has been a decidedly patchy run of form. Since beating Paris Saint-Germain on New Year’s Day, Lens have won just two of eight league games. That run has seen them sink from second place, four points behind leaders PSG, to fourth, 10 points away from top spot.

Watch: Lens held by Montpellier in Round 25

“We are lucky to have the derby and to be playing again so soon, but we have to admit that if we keep making as many mistakes as we have been doing at the moment and we again fail to take our chances, we don’t stand much chance. Lille are the big favourites,” manager Haise said in the wake of the reverse in Nantes.

Lens have the best defence in Ligue 1 but the poorest attack of all the teams in the top six, with top scorer Loïs Openda stuck on nine goals since early January. He has lost his place in the side to Florian Sotoca, who has not scored a league goal since October 2. Their next top scorer, Wesley Saïd, has not played in over a month due to injury.

Lille coach Fonseca serves ban

Lille are also out of the Cup and remain outside the European places in the league because a poor start to the season left them playing catch-up. Their recent form has been much better, with just two defeats in 12, and those narrow losses coming away to in-form OGC Nice and at Paris Saint-Germain, when they succumbed only to a last-gasp Lionel Messi free-kick.

Les Dogues bounced back last weekend from that setback in Paris to beat Stade Brestois 29 2-1 at home at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, with defensive duo Bafodé Diakité and Alexsandro scoring the goals, both of which came from dead balls. “We are trying to get across to the players just how important set-pieces are,” said coach Paulo Fonseca.

Watch: Lille beat Brest in Round 25

The problem for Lille this weekend is that Portuguese boss Fonseca will serve a suspension from the touchline after being shown a red card at the end of the game against Brest. Lille are also without Diakité, who is set to be sidelined for several weeks with an injury suffered in the same match. Lens have a doubt over Argentinian defender Facundo Medina.

Lille are looking to do the double over Lens, after winning 1-0 when the sides last met in Lille in October. Yet while Lille are unbeaten at home in 10 league games since August, their away record is not as impressive. And Lens have won 11 of their 12 home outings this season, suffering just one defeat in 17 games in front of their own fans in the last year.

Possible teams

Lens: Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Fofana (c), Abdul Samed, Machado; Fulgini, Sotoca; Openda

Lille: Chevalier; Djaló, Yoro, Fonte (c), Weah; André, André Gomes; Cabella, Angel Gomes, Bamba; David