Preview: Le Havre vs. Lens - prediction, team news, lineups

Seeking their archetypal triumph since November, Le Havre volition purpose to adjacent the spread betwixt themselves and relegation erstwhile they big Lens connected Sunday astatine Stade Oceane.

The Normandy broadside are 2nd from the bottommost successful Ligue 1 aft being hammered 5-1 by Marseille, portion Les Sang et Or were beaten 1-0 versus Toulouse and beryllium seventh successful the table.

Match preview

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It has gone from atrocious to worse for Didier Digard astatine Le Havre, with his broadside presently connected a five-match losing tally crossed each competitions.

After 16 Ligue 1 matchdays, they are 17th successful the standings, 3 points beneath Nantes and a relegation playoff spot and 4 down Saint-Etienne for a guaranteed spot successful the top-flight adjacent season.

Despite the mediocre form, Didier Digard has been assured by the beforehand bureau that his occupation is harmless for now, though past does not bode good for his team, fixed their existent standing.

They are the 4th broadside successful the French top-flight this period who person suffered 12 defeats successful 16 league contests, with the others being Grenoble (12 successful 2009/10), Metz (14 successful 2017/18) and Angers (12 successful 2022/23), portion each of those teams coiled up being relegated astatine the decision of their respective campaigns.

Coming into this encounter, Le Havre person mislaid 3 consecutive Ligue 1 matches astatine location without scoring and could endure 4 successive location shutout defeats this play for the archetypal clip successful the top-flight.

Les Ciel et Marine person lone mislaid 10% of their location matches against Lens successful the 2000s, claiming astatine slightest a constituent successful their past 9 meetings against them successful Normandy.

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In the mediate of a cardinal departure, Lens person suffered connected the field, riding a three-match winless tally crossed each competitions into this weekend.

Their captain, Brice Samba, near to articulation Rennes this week, days aft the nine initially blocked the transfer, with the French reserve keeper bringing the Lens goalkeeping manager on with him.

Will Still's broadside are presently 3 points beneath Nice for a spot successful the Europa Conference League adjacent season, with points successful 7 of their 8 Ligue 1 distant encounters successful 2024-25.

With 24 points aft 16 top-flight matchdays, RC Lens person accumulated 2 points less than they had astatine this signifier of the erstwhile run nether Franck Haise.

After going unbeaten successful their opening 8 league contests of the existent campaign, they person suffered 4 defeats successful their erstwhile 8 home affairs.

Les Sang et Or person points successful 4 of their erstwhile 5 competitory meetings with Le Havre but person not won an distant contention against them successful the top-flight since May 2003 (3-1).

Le Havre Ligue 1 form:

Le Havre signifier (all competitions):

Lens Ligue 1 form:

Lens signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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On Sunday, Le Havre could beryllium missing Emmanuel Sabbi, Daler Kuzyayev, Josue Casimir and Issa Soumare owed to knocks, portion Yann Kitala whitethorn besides person to beryllium retired due to the fact that of a ft injury.

Last weekend, Digard made 4 changes to the broadside that began their lucifer against Strasbourg, with Kuzyayev, Yassine Kechta, Ilyes Housni and Andre Ayew coming successful to regenerate Christopher Operi, Oussama Targhalline, Rassoul Ndiaye and Steve Ngoura, with the second precocious joining Cercle Brugge successful Belgium.

Ayew had their lone extremity against Marseille past weekend, his archetypal of the home campaign, 2 less than the squad person successful that department, Abdoulaye Toure.

A cruciate ligament rupture volition support Remy Labeau Lascary connected the Lens sidelines for the foreseeable future, portion Wesley Said, Neil El Aynaoui, Abdukodir Khusanov and Jhoanner Chavez each sat retired past play with injuries.

Still could person Sidi Bane and Ruben Aguilar astatine his disposal contempt some players missing the erstwhile Lens brushwood with a hamstring and enarthrosis strain, respectively, portion David Costa is retired due to the fact that of a red-card suspension.

We say: Le Havre 0-1 Lens

Le Havre person the worst onslaught successful the league (12 goals) this season, portion Lens person conceded the second-fewest goals (15), and we judge the visitors volition not person capable to unopen down Les Ciel et Marine and instrumentality to winning ways.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer please click here.

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