Lorient vs Angers prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-02-04 14:00.
No French club was more active in the January transfer window than Lorient, signing six players to offset the departures of Terem Moffi and Dango Ouattara, scorers of a combined 18 Ligue 1 goals this term. If those signings work, bettering their best ever top-flight finish of seventh in 2009/10 remains possible, so they’ll hope Wednesday’s 4-2 defeat to Reims isn’t a sign of things to come.
Hosting struggling Angers looks an easier proposition and it will also give the home fans a chance to see their new-look side in action. As they’re yet to host any of the teams starting this round in the bottom six this term, Les Merlus will see this as one of several winnable fixtures to come as they bid for a first top-eight finish since 2013/14.
Angers led in midweek against Ajaccio but conceded in injury time to lose 2-1, leaving them well adrift at the bottom of the standings, so dropping into Ligue 2 look increasingly likely with four sides going down this term. After losing each of their last 13 Ligue 1 fixtures, trailing at half-time in three of the last four, they finished the round 11 points behind the side in 16th.
Without a goal across their last five league away fixtures (L5), this could be another tough afternoon for Abdel Bouhazama’s side, who were thumped 4-0 in nearby Brest on their last road trip. They haven’t won any of their last four visits to Stade du Moustoir either (D2, L2), but would likely settle for a repeat of last term’s 0-0 draw, achieved despite an early red card.
Players to watch: Nobody still at Lorient has scored more league goals than Enzo Le Fée this term (four), all of which came in games featuring at least three goals. Angers’ Abdallah Sima netted against Ajaccio and in January’s reverse fixture, on both occasions opening the scoring inside 15 minutes.
Hot streak: Angers received exactly two cards (of any colour) in each of their last four league games.