Montpellier vs Auxerre prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2022-08-20 13:00.
As far as the neutral is concerned, it has been an exciting start to the campaign for Montpellier with 12 goals scored across the opening two rounds (W1, L1). In fact, their 5-2 defeat to PSG last time out means that this is now Montpellier’s highest-ever goal return after two Ligue 1 rounds, ousting the previous record of 11 goals set just last term!
While this encounter against newly-promoted Auxerre looks much more winnable on paper, Montpellier’s return of just one win across their last six encounters with promoted sides tells a different tale (D2, L3). Montpellier boss Olivier Dall'Oglio will not take this fixture lightly either, having won just twice across his ten personal encounters with Auxerre (D3, L5) whilst seven of the last nine saw just one or no sides score.
Dall'Oglio was actually the assistant manager at Dijon the last time Auxerre won a top-flight away game way back in 2012. A repeat would please visiting manager Jean-Marc Furlan as he still seeks his first league win since being promoted (D1, L1), yet Auxerre at least bring some momentum into the fixture with just one defeat across their last 12 competitive away games (W7, D4).
Bouncing back from the opening away day defeat is crucial for Auxerre’s survival bid, as a run of just one victory from their last 20 Ligue 1 away games ultimately contributed to their last top-flight relegation in 2011/12. That awful streak of away form began with a 3-1 defeat here in Montpellier, so perhaps this is a fitting place to buck that trend.
Players to watch: Not ones to hog the ball, Montpellier have had seven different players score or assist across the opening two rounds, though Téji Savanier is their only player to net twice. Meanwhile, Auxerre’s only away scorer this term, Gaëtan Charbonnier, scored the decisive goal in three of his last five scoring games.
Hot stat: Jean-Marc Furlan is unbeaten in six of his seven encounters with Montpellier (W3, D3, L1), yet the last three ended level.