Le Havre vs Marseille prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-05-18 19:00.
[p]Le Havre’s last two seasons in Ligue 1 have been accompanied by an immediate return to the second tier, so many may have expected that trend to continue in 2023/24, when the club started the campaign among the favourites to go down. However, with just one round of fixtures to go, it would take a quite remarkable turn of events for Luka Elsner’s side to end up in the drop zone this time around.[/p]
[p]Despite a 1-0 defeat to Nice last time out – a fifth loss in eight games (W1, D2) – the Dean Club are three points clear of 16th-placed Metz, who also have a significantly inferior goal difference. Stade OcĂ©ane is therefore likely to be in a celebratory mood as Le Havre look to seal their top-flight status for another campaign, and they should be confident of doing so on home soil, where they have accumulated 20 of their 32 points this term (W6, D2, L8).[/p]
[p]Looking to play party-poopers this weekend will be opponents Marseille, who have ominously only lost one of the last 22 H2Hs (W14, D7). The visitors make the long journey north with European football still to play for as well, although finishing in the top six is out of their own hands after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Reims on Wednesday.[/p]
[p]That result was a second defeat in three games for the Phocaeans (W1) and left them in eighth place in the table, three points behind the teams directly above them. A victory in this match would still be enough to qualify for Europe if Lens and Lyon slip up in their respective fixtures, although recent history suggests a Marseille win is unlikely on this occasion, as Jean-Louis Gasset’s side have lost six of their last seven matches on the road (D1).[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Le Havre’s André Ayew, who is facing his former club here, has scored seven of his last ten goals before half time, four of which were the first of the match. Marseille will be hoping Ismaïla Sarr can end an 11-game goal drought for his club, as he has not lost an away fixture in which he has netted since 2019 (W7, D5)! [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Stade Océane has witnessed only ten first-half goals in Ligue 1 this season, a low for the division.[/p]