Jonathan David will be looking to break the 20-league goal barrier for the first time in his career as the Canada international and in-form Lille welcome Lorient to northern France on Sunday (kick-off 1pm CEST).
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David has found the net 19 times in 27 Ligue 1 Uber Eats matches this term, that's four more goals than he managed in 38 top-flight outings in the 2021/22 campaign. It also tops his tally of 18 from the truncated 2019/20 Belgian season while he was with Gent, and brings him into Round 29 level pegging with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappé atop the French premier division's leading marksmen.
David has found the net seven times in his last six league appearances, helping Lille to a run of just one defeat in eight that has left them in sixth place, just a point outside the top five and a guaranteed European qualifying berth ahead of facing Lorient.
WATCH: Jonathan David grabs a hat-trick vs. Lyon
"Lorient are a team that defends very well, that's very compact. They're very dangerous on the counter-attack. They have changed since the start of the season as they don't have Terem Moffi now. It's different, but they remain dangerous. It'll be a tough match for us," said Lille boss Paulo Fonseca, whose side were beaten 2-1 thanks to a late Théo Le Bris goal in the teams' first meeting this season.
"We'll have to find space between the lines, and that's difficult against them. We played for 30 minutes with a man extra earlier in the season, and we lost a game we should have won. This time, we want to win to be able to move closer to the European places."
Tiago Djalo and Ismaily are missing through injury for the hosts while André Gomes is suspended. Bafodé Diakité could feature after recovering fitness as Lille look to extend their unbeaten home run to 12 league games while Fonseca already has one eye on next season.
"I'm very happy here. It's true that we've started preparing next season. I'm totally focussed on my mission here, on my last ten games. The future for me is here," said the ex-Shakhtar Donetsk coach, who has been linked with the vacant manager's position at Tottenham Hotspur. "The most important thing is the result, but also the playing style that we have constructed. Everyone now recognises our way of playing, that's very positive."
WATCH: Lorient claim a point at Nice
Lorient have recovered from a mini-slump that saw them lose four of seven matches by going unbeaten in their last three league outings to come into the round in eighth place, six points off a top-five place. The work Régis Le Bris has done with the team this season earned him and his assistants a two-year contract extension this week, tying the technical staff to Les Merlus until 2027.
"We are conscious of our responsibility towards all the fans of FC Lorient. The constant support we get both home and away is invaluable and gives us a lot of energy," said Le Bris, whose side are winless in their last five away matches. "Expectations are high and though we're satisfied with the work we have done so far, we also know full well that it's not an end in itself. Collectively, there are no limits we have to set ourselves. It's going to be an intense end to the season, we're going to do all we can to make it even more exciting."
Probable teams
Lille: Chevalier; Weah, Fonte, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; André, Angel Gomes; Ounas, Cabella, Zhegrova; David
Lorient: Mannone; Yongwa, Meïté, Talbi, Le Goff; Abergel; Faivre, Le Fée, Makengo, Le Bris; Dieng
