Clermont vs Le Havre prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-03-16 14:00.
[p]With only nine games of the regular season remaining, time is running out for Ligue 1’s bottom club Clermont in their bid to fight off relegation. Les Lanciers sit nine points adrift of certain safety going into the weekend thanks in part to a seven match winless league run (D3, L4) – the second-longest ongoing sequence without victory in the division ahead of this round of fixtures. [/p]
[p]Back-to-back encounters against relegation-threatened sides – starting with Le Havre on Sunday – present Pascal Gastien’s men with a golden opportunity to end their rotten run and pick up six points to significantly improve their survival chances. Clermont will need to show more of a cutting edge though, having scored just 17 goals in France’s top flight this term – comfortably the fewest in the league. [/p]
[p]Le Havre managed to stop their own six-match winless streak with a priceless 1-0 triumph over Toulouse last weekend, propelling the Normandy outfit from 16th to 12th. And heading to Stade Gabriel-Montpied, they ought to be confident of extending their three-game unbeaten H2H run (W1, D2), having won September’s reverse fixture 2-1.[/p]
[p]Luka Elsner’s men struck twice within the opening ten minutes that day, and given they are unbeaten this campaign after taking the lead (W8, D2), another fast start may be high on their agenda. Reinforcing belief, Le Havre have lost only one of their seven league matches in 2023/24 against teams currently below them in the table (W2, D4), but with just one win on their travels in Ligue 1 this season – the division’s lowest figure – hitting the road has proved problematic. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Clermont defender Cheick Oumar Konaté has registered two goal involvements in his last three starts (G1, A1), as well as scoring the consolation in the reverse fixture. Christopher Opéri netted the winner against Toulouse last weekend, whilst also picking up a yellow card, which probably isn’t a great surprise given he’s been caution 15 times in league action for Le Havre since the start of last season. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Clermont are the only side who haven’t scored at home after the 75th minute in Ligue 1 this term. [/p]