Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the clashes of Ligue 1’s 34th round will unfold on Saturday at Stade de la Beaujoire, where local side Nantes hosts Montpellier. I’m offering a bet on the outcome of this encounter with a promising odds boost.
Match preview
The Bretons continue to struggle in Ligue 1 — in the previous round, Nantes drew 1-1 with Auxerre, extending their winless streak to five matches (three draws, two losses). Despite dropping points, the team managed to retain 15th place in the table and even increased their cushion over the relegation playoff zone to one point. The key intrigue of the upcoming match is that a victory will guarantee Nantes’ top-flight status, regardless of other results.
However, their home record hardly inspires confidence: this season, the Canaries have failed to win 12 out of 16 games at their own ground (six draws, six defeats). Still, in their last ten home matches, Pierre Aristouy’s men have looked more solid — they’ve avoided defeat seven times (three wins, four draws). The upcoming fixture is a golden opportunity to break their poor run and secure another year in Ligue 1.
Montpellier, meanwhile, continues to sink to the bottom of the French championship with no hope of survival. Their latest 1-4 defeat to PSG marked the team’s 25th loss of this Ligue 1 campaign, with only four wins to their name. After this latest setback, the gap to their nearest rival has grown to 14 points, locking Montpellier firmly to the foot of the table.
The team is rightfully considered the season’s biggest disappointment — the worst away side in Ligue 1, languishing at the bottom of nearly every negative ranking. Montpellier have managed just one win in 16 away matches, suffering defeat in the other 15. Their attacking stats are grim: only 6 away goals scored, with 35 conceded. Their current winless streak in the league stands at 14 matches (1 draw, 13 losses).
Probable lineups
- Nantes: Anthony Lopes – Sorba Thomas, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Nathan Zeze, Nicolas Pallois, Fabien Santons – Francis Coquelin, Pedro Chirivella, Douglas Augusto – Matthis Abline, Moses Simon
- Montpellier: Benjamin Lecomte – Enzo Chato Mbiai, Becir Omeragic, Yael Mouanga, Lucas Davin, Theo Chennayi – Joris Chotard, Jordan Ferri, Rabbi Njingula – Khalil Fayad, Tanguy Coulibaly
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the reverse fixture, Nantes beat Montpellier away 3-1
- The "Over 2.5 goals" bet has landed in three of the last five encounters
- Nantes have beaten Montpellier in three of their last five meetings, losing only once
Prediction
Even back when Montpellier were a solid Ligue 1 mid-table side, Nantes often found ways to break down their defense. Now, as their rivals have become the league’s hopeless underdogs, Nantes have every chance to reaffirm their superiority. Our bet: Nantes to win at odds of 1.62.
