Lorient vs Strasbourg prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-06-02 19:00.
After consecutive 16th place finishes in their two prior Ligue 1 campaigns, Lorient’s third season back in the top tier will close with significant progress having been made, as they gun for their first top-half Ligue 1 finish since the 2013/14 season. In order to hold onto their current tenth-place ranking, they simply have to match or better the result of Reims, over whom they held a one-point advantage heading into the season finale.
As he has done all season, Lorient manager RĂ©gis Le Bris will want to hold his team to a high standard, since victory here would see them record their most wins and points in a single Ligue 1 season since 2009/10! They’ll need to bounce back from last round’s 2-0 loss at Clermont, and perhaps owing to their uninspiring three-game winless run (D1, L2), they’ll head into this clash with Strasbourg as the underdogs – though Lorient’s 43% win rate in Ligue 1 action as home outsiders suggests they shouldn’t be written off.
Strasbourg already know precisely where they’ll be finishing (15th) after collecting 14 points from their last seven matches (W4, D2, L1) to stave off the extended relegation zone. Manager Frédéric Antonetti may consider that a fruitful outcome given where they were prior to their recent rally, though it will be viewed as a significant dropoff considering they were just a few points shy of European football last season.
The Blue and Whites will therefore want to end the season on a high, and being away from home may provide them the best opportunity to do so after varying degrees of success in their last three road trips (W2, D1). They’ll need to carry this form with them to the unhappy hunting ground Stade du Moustoir, where they failed to win in each of their last three visits (D1, L2).
Key battle: The season top scorers of both teams will battle for early glory when they attempt to give their respective teams the edge, as Lorient’s Ibrahima Koné has scored his side’s opener in five of his last six goalscoring outings, whilst Strasbourg’s Habib Diallo has done so in six of the last eight matches in which he found the net.
Hot stat: Lorient have seen the half-time score replicated at the full-time whistle in 14 of their 18 home league matches this season.