David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Laval
Rodez
One of the matches of the 31st round of the French Ligue 2 will take place on Friday at the Stade Francis Le Basser, where local team Laval will host Rodez. I propose a bet on the outcome of this clash with a good odds.
Match preview
"Les Tangos" remain among the playoff contenders, but the team's recent results have significantly slowed their climb up the table. Laval is currently in seventh place with 43 points, five points behind the playoff zone. Their main competitor in the fight for the top 5, Guingamp, managed to create a gap due to recent stumbles by the "orange and blacks."
In the last round, Laval slipped up in Grenoble, losing 1-2 — marking their second consecutive defeat and third in the last five matches. Such instability has become a serious obstacle in their attempt to secure a playoff spot. At home, the team does not show a pronounced advantage: in 14 home matches, they have secured 6 victories, while leaving the field defeated in five games.
Rodez occupies 13th place in the Ligue 2 standings with 36 points. This is eight points more than Clermont and Martigues, who share the 16th and 17th positions, respectively, in the danger zone. Thus, the club currently feels relatively safe in the battle for survival.
However, dreams of promotion will have to be postponed until next season — the gap from Guingamp, closing the top five, is a significant 12 points. In the last round, Rodez hosted Caen — one of the season's underdogs, and managed only a 2-2 draw. Although the "red and yellows" have not lost in five consecutive matches, this streak looks far from convincing — the team celebrated victory only twice.
Probable line-ups
- Laval: Samassa, Chernin, Kokolo, Pelnar, Adilehou, Vargas, Camara, Montet, Adeoti, Sellouki, Chokunte
- Rodez: Diav, Abdallah, Sissoko, Vandenabele, Nunchil, Bouchoari, Taibi, Cadiou, Trouille, Bentaeb, Nkada
Match facts and head-to-head encounters
- Laval defeated the opponent away in the first round with a score of 3-1
- The bet on "Total over 2.5" was successful in three out of five matches
- The option for "both teams to score" was successful in three out of five encounters
Prediction
Bookmakers do not see a favorite in this clash and offer roughly equal odds. Laval defeated the opponent in the last three head-to-head meetings. We believe that "Les Tangos" will be closer to victory this time as well, and our bet is "Laval to win with a handicap (0)" with odds of 1.95.
