AC Ajaccio vs Nantes prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-02-04 14:00.
“It's fabulous for us to stop a losing streak," said coach Olivier Pantaloni after Ajaccio’s last-gasp 2-1 win at rock-bottom Angers in midweek ended a run of four consecutive defeats in Ligue 1, meaning they find themselves one point adrift of safety ahead of this round. This matchup against Nantes presents a daunting challenge for the newcomers though, as they’ve not recorded back-to-back wins in Ligue 1 for ten years, almost to the day!
A home game is unlikely to provide any comfort for the Acéistes however, as they’ve picked up only 39% of their Ligue 1 points at the François-Coty Stadium (W2, D1, L7). A lack of quality in the final third is one of the causes, with Pantaloni’s men scoring only seven home goals so far this term, which is the lowest in the division, but things could change with the loan signing of striker Moussa Djitté from Austin.
Visitors Nantes upset the odds in 2021/22 to win their first Coupe de France in 22 years, but this season has fallen below expectations, illustrated by a meagre four-point gap to the relegation zone at the end of the last round. A run of seven consecutive clean sheets had given fans hope, but they’ve since felt the harsh reality of Ligue 1 football as their side followed that up with a 2-0 home loss against Marseille on Wednesday.
Improving away performances could be the difference between relegation and safety for Nantes, with only fellow strugglers Angers and Auxerre registering less than their eight points on the road in Ligue 1 so far (W1, D5, L5). Nantes’ new signing Andy Delort could at least help them to “let loose offensively”, as coach Antoine Kombouaré put it after the Marseille game.
Players to watch: Youcef Belaïli has been the key man in Ajaccio's home games, contributing to four of their seven home goals in Ligue 1 (G3, A1). For the visitors, Nantes will hope Mostafa Mohamed can find the net, after leading his team to an away victory ‘to-nil’ in his previous three goalscoring appearances.
Hot stat: Ajaccio are the only Ligue 1 side yet to score in the opening 30 minutes of a home game.