Lens vs St Etienne prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2025-04-05 13:00.
[p]Lens have got it all to do if they’re to close the yawning pre-round seven-point gap to the top six, and five defeats from their last seven league games (W2) suggest that’s likely to be a tall order. With just seven league games remaining there’s little margin for error for Lens, so this clash with struggling Saint-Étienne has a must-win feel to it.[/p]
[p]Their visit probably isn’t a timely one where Lens are concerned, as they’ve lost more Ligue 1 home games against Saint-Étienne (14) than against any other opponent. The Blood and Gold are at least unbeaten in the last six H2Hs (W4, D2), but adding a fifth win to that tally may be tricky, as despite winning their last home league game 1-0 against Rennes, they haven’t secured back-to-back Ligue 1 home victories all season. [/p]
[p]Saint-Étienne’s season received a boost in midweek after it was confirmed that their abandoned game against Montpellier before the international break, which the Greens were leading 2-0 at the time, was rewarded with three points. Saint-Étienne now start this round just three points shy of definite safety, which is a huge boost as without them, they would’ve been six points adrift and looking much likelier to make an instant return to Ligue 2. [/p]
[p]That awarded victory is Saint-Étienne’s only win from their last 11 Ligue 1 outings (D4, L6), most recently being thumped 6-1 by PSG last weekend. That was their third defeat by five or more goals in Ligue 1 this season, and another heavy defeat here can’t be ruled out given Saint-Étienne have lost all seven of their away league games against sides starting the round in the top half by an aggregate 25-3 scoreline![/p]
[p]Players to watch: Lens’ Florian Sotoca has scored three goals in five career H2Hs with Saint-Étienne – all three came in victories, with two of the goals arriving after the 75th minute. Aside from Lucas Stassin, Irvin Cardona was the last player to score for Saint-Étienne in Ligue 1 back in February – three of his last four goals in this competition were headers. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Saint-Étienne have conceded 13 penalty goals in Ligue 1 this season, the highest tally for a team in a single campaign in the competition for at least 50 years![/p]
[p][i]Written by Chris Wilson[/i][/p]