Lille vs AC Milan Odds and Preview: Europa League Group Stage Matchday 4

• Two teams meet again following Lille’s 3-0 Europa League victory in Milan earlier this month
• Defeat on November 5 was the first of the season for Serie A leaders Milan, who are top of the Italian table after eight games
• Read on for a match preview, full odds and a best bet for Thursday’s Group H clash

In what was arguably the shock result of this Europa League campaign, Lille traveled to the home of Serie A leaders AC Milan on Matchday 3 and emerged triumphant with a resounding 3-0 victory – the heaviest European defeat ever inflicted on Milan at the San Siro. While both teams are sitting in the first and second spots in Group H, and are both favored to advance, their return meeting in Lille on Thursday, November 26, is now set for an intriguing contest.

While AC Milan are still unbeaten at the summit of Serie A, Lille are no slouches in their own domestic league, having lost just once and currently sitting two points back of Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1. All in all, it makes for an intriguing matchup which is arguably the pick of all the Matchday 4 games in the Europa League.

Lille vs AC Milan Odds

Odds taken Nov. 25 at DraftKings

Ibra Absence Key for Europa League Match

The story of AC Milan this season is almost inexorably intertwined with the story of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. At 39 years of age, the Swedish striker has 10 goals in just six Serie A appearances this season, with 11 goals in all.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored 10 goals in 6 Serie A appearances so far this season. He was playing for LA Galaxy just 13 months ago and now he is the league's top scorer. What he’s doing at 39 years of age is not normal. Facts 💯 pic.twitter.com/Y8OxnZdUyL

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) November 22, 2020

So it is no surprise that this Europa League matchup took on a different tone once Ibrahimovic limped off after scoring twice in Milan’s 3-1 win over Napoli at the weekend. Resulting scans on his injured hamstring showed he would be out of action until at least December, putting an entirely different complexion on Thursday’s match.

His absence could open the door for the likes of Ante Rebic, a Croatian international but one without a goal to his name this season. And Portuguese international, and former Lille player, Rafael Leao is also missing after picking up an injury on international duty.

Lille vs AC Milan Europa League Record

Can Milan Overcome Odds?

In three head-to-head encounters between the two sides, Milan are yet to end up on the winning side and have yet to score a goal against the French side. In addition to their encounter at the San Siro three weeks ago, the pair also met in the 2006-07 Champions League group stage, with Lille winning one and drawing the other.

While Zlatan’s resurgence has been key to Milan’s early-season revival, his absence also leaves them searching for answers. Ibrahimovic has scored more than half of the Rossoneri’s goals in Serie A this season, for instance, with the rest of the squad accounting for just nine goals.

However, he did miss a pair of games earlier in the season, and Milan won both, scoring five goals and conceding none. Though a small sample size, and against lowly Crotone and Spezia Calcio, it is an indication that the team can function without its talisman.

Lille’s Chance to Double Down

The 3-0 win that Les Dogues posted in the San Siro was very much a statement of what this team can produce. Obviously Yusuf Yazici took much of the plaudits from that game with his hat trick, but it should have come as no surprise.

🇹🇷 Yusuf Yazici's last 3 matches with Lille across all competitions

2 goals, 1 assist vs. Lorient
1 assist vs. Brest
3 goals vs. AC Milan

Some form 🔥 pic.twitter.com/whTTeuASZh

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) November 22, 2020

The trio was Yazici’s second hat trick of the group stage, and he is the leading goalscorer in the competition with six. The Turkish striker has now apparently caught the eye of Arsenal as well.

Since that meeting, Lille suffered their first loss of the season, against Brest, but bounced back well from that with a 4-0 trouncing of Lorient on Sunday. While Yazici captured the headlines as usual with a two-goal outing, the performance was also notable as off-season signing Jonathan David finally got off the mark in Lille colors. The Canadian international scored his first goal for the club in his 14th appearance since coming over from Gent in August.

Pick: Lille (+140)