Angers vs Reims prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-09-28 15:00.
[p]Life back in Ligue 1 has been brutal so far for Angers, whose joy of being promoted from their one season stint in the second division has been short lived after starting the campaign winless across their opening five games (D2, L3). That’s left Alexandre Dujeux’s side stranded at the foot of the table, and the markets think their poor start is indicative of their season to come, as they’re already the clear favourites of the bookies for relegation. [/p]
[p]The more optimistic SCO fans will argue that things are getting better since their two draws have come in their most recent matches, both 1-1 stalemates with Strasbourg and Nantes respectively. Failing to win again here at the Stade Raymond-Kopa would seal some unwanted history for Angers though, as it’ll mean they’ve begun a top-flight campaign without victory in their first four home games for only the second time in the last 60 years! [/p]
[p]Hoping to make that a reality are visiting Reims, who after losing their opening game of the season, have steadied the ship with two wins and two draws since. A part of them will feel as if they’ve left points on the field having taken the lead at one point in those draws against Marseille and PSG, but they would be remiss to forget they conceded first in their 2-1 wins over both Rennes and Nantes. [/p]
[p]Manager Luka Elsner will be hoping for a much more straightforward victory here, by leveraging his team’s record of winning seven of their last nine Ligue 1 fixtures against newly promoted sides (D2). Winning with such regularity hasn’t been the case when the Red and Whites have squared off against Angers in recent memory, as even though they’ve only lost two of the last 17 encounters, their return of seven victories in that time (D8) highlights that taking the three points on this occasion is far from a certainty. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Himad Abdelli will have fond memories of scoring in the thrilling 2-2 draw when these sides last met, and he’ll back himself to have an influence once again here since each of his last seven goals have come at home. Reims’ Junya Ito could take it upon himself to have the bigger impact, after he scored in both H2Hs in the 2022/23 season, with both strikes coming before half-time.[/p]
[p]Hot streak: Neither of these sides are yet to experience a goalless first-half this season. Â [/p]
[p][i]Written by Peter Stavrinou[/i][/p]