Lens vs Le Havre prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2025-02-28 18:00.
[p]Lens’ European qualification bid has been severely hampered by poor performances and ill-discipline in recent weeks, having lost their last three Ligue 1 matches, each of which saw them receive a red card. Those defeats mean that Will Still’s men now enter their upcoming game against second-from-bottom Le Havre sitting eighth in the table, having started February in fifth place. [/p]
[p]A fourth straight French top-flight loss would be Lens’ worst such run since a sequence of five between April and May 2015 – a season in which they last suffered relegation. While there is no danger of that situation being replicated this term, there will be concern at how porous the defence has been, with the Blood and Gold facing the prospect of conceding at least twice in four consecutive games for the first time in three years.[/p]
[p]Le Havre have been Ligue 1’s lowest scorers this season (G19) – as well as receiving two red cards themselves across their last four games – and enter matchday 24 five points adrift of safety having lost eight of their last 11 league encounters (W1, D2). One positive for the Sky and Navy as they head to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis is that they have earned 11 of their 17 points this term away from home. [/p]
[p]Didier Digard’s men claimed their first win on the road since late November when they defeated high-flying Lille 2-1 in early February. Le Havre are now one game away from going four Ligue 1 matches unbeaten on their travels in a single season for the first time since September 2002. Just one defeat from their last ten meetings with Lens at all venues (W4, D5) suggests they could achieve that feat, albeit that sole loss came in the most recent meeting (2-1). [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Neil El Aynaoui’s penalty against Nantes last Sunday ultimately proved to be a consolation, with the Moroccan now only emerging victorious three times from his last eight goalscoring appearances for first-team sides (D2, L3). Issa Soumaré’s goal last weekend for Le Havre was also in vain, but the 24-year-old has at least found the net in two of his last three games, having only scored that many in his previous 64 matches![/p]
[p]Hot streak: The away team on the day has not lost in any of Le Havre’s last seven games. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Alex Bowmer[/i][/p]