Le Havre vs Lens prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2025-08-23 15:15.
[p]After defeats for both Le Havre and Lens in gameweek one, the two sides meet at the Stade Océane on Sunday as they look to get their first points of the season.[/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]Seven points from their final four games in 2024/25 saw Le Havre narrowly escape relegation, and if their opening match of this Ligue 1 campaign is anything to go by, then it will be another season battling the drop for the Sky and Navy. Didier Digard’s side were beaten 3-1 at Monaco last Saturday and in doing so replaced Saint-Étienne as the team to have conceded the most goals in Ligue 1 in 2025 (45). They lost their final home game of last term by the same scoreline and will go into Sunday’s clash looking to improve on a very poor run on their own turf of just one win from their last 12 such matches (D2, L9).[/p]
[p]Lens kicked off this campaign with a 1-0 loss at home to Lyon, a team who finished five points above them in May. The Blood and Gold have not started a Ligue 1 season with two defeats since 2014/15, but with eight losses from their last 15 opening away games in the top flight (W3, D4), that run could be under threat. Lens winning a mere three of their 15 opening away games of a Ligue 1 season in the 21st century (D4, L8) certainly suggests that could be the case, although one of those wins did come last season as they beat Angers 1-0. [/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]Both teams picked up an away win when these sides met last season and you have to go back to October 2018 to find the last time the hosts on the day won a H2H.[/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Le Havre last kept a clean sheet at the Stade OcĂ©ane in November 2024 – the only home league game in which they achieved a shutout last season.[/p]
[p]Le Havre scored exactly one goal in six of their last seven home matches in 2024/25.[/p]
[p]Lens failed to score in just three of their 17 league away games last season (W8, D5, L4).[/p]
[p]Only one of Lens’ last seven Ligue 1 matches stood goalless at half-time.[/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]André Ayew made three goal contributions (G2, A1) across the two H2Hs last season and was involved in Le Havre’s first goal in both games. Florian Thauvin needs one more goal to bring up his hundred in Europe’s top-five leagues (13 in Serie A, 86 in Ligue 1).[/p]
[p]Both sides should be close to full strength for this match.[/p]
[p]For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.[/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]With both sides having a tendency to find the back of the net, both teams score looks a smart pick here.[/p]
[p][i]Author: Tom Penn[/i][/p]