Lille OSC vs Evian Thonon Gaillard preview - Beria urges Lille to fight

Lille defender Franck Beria has demanded his side show fighting spirit as they bid to kick-start their campaign against Evian on Wednesday night.

Rene Girard's side are currently 13th in the Ligue 1 table with just one win in their last 10 matches.

Five wins all season means Lille, who finished third in the last campaign, are just two points above the drop zone ahead of the clash at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

A 3-0 win over Toulouse had led to thoughts that Lille were about to surge up the table, but defeat in their next match against title-chasing Marseille set them back.

And for Beria it is vital that halfway through the season Lille start to find their form.

"There will be no choice but to approach this match against Evian with the bit between our teeth," he said in his pre-match press conference.

"It is a difficult time, for sure. This season, it's more difficult, but we will fight.

"I am convinced that we are in a false position.

"The game against Evian is an opportunity to kick-start our season. We must seize it."

Girard admits that despite their win over Toulouse, they are still yet to find their best form.

"We are still fragile," he said. "After Toulouse, we have not found the form of what we did last season.

"On Wednesday, we will play an Evian team in the same situation as us."

Evian currently hold the final relegation place in 18th and Pascal Dupraz's side were hammered 3-0 by St Etienne last time out.

"Lille is above us and in a false position - they will recover, all I wish is that they do after our game," the boss said in his pre-match press conference.

"We have to be very determined, each player must want to defend his patch of grass stubbornly.

"We will try to cause problems in Lille, what we failed to do in St Etienne. We need to be more consistent."