Nantes vs Montpellier prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2025-05-16 19:00.
[p]Nantes could hardly ask for an easier opponent on paper as they need just one point to realistically guarantee their place in Ligue 1 given 16th-placed Le Havre’s considerably worse goal difference. It has been another tumultuous season for Canaries manager Antoine Kombouaré, who returned to the club in March 2024 to help save them from relegation last term, but this campaign could ultimately end on a high against bottom-of-the-table Montpellier.[/p]
[p]Strangely, Nantes haven’t beaten a side currently 12th or lower in Ligue 1 at home all season (D2, L3), so they shouldn’t be taking anything for granted here. They seem to have saved their most favoured struggling opponent until last though, as Nantes have won 64% of their Ligue 1 home games against Montpellier in the 21st century (W9, L5), their highest success rate against an opponent they have faced 10+ times on home soil during that period.[/p]
[p]Already-relegated Montpellier should be playing with the freedom of no longer having to scrap for survival, but better results have not been forthcoming, with the most recent being a 4-1 loss at the hands of PSG. That was incredibly their 25th defeat of the season, and making that 26 here will see Montpellier record the lowest points tally in a full Ligue 1 season[/p]
[p]at 18 or 20 clubs by counting three points for a win.[/p]
[p]One of those 25 defeats to this point came in the reverse fixture (3-1), and was one of the 30 times in Ligue 1 this season that Montpellier have conceded the opening goal. With La Paillade suffering an 80% loss rate when doing so (W3, D3, L24), going 1-0 up could be their best hope of avoiding making unwanted history. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Matthis Abline registered the first of his ten goals in all competitions this campaign against Montpellier, with Nantes losing just one of the nine games in which he has scored this term (W4, D4). Two of the three goals that Montpellier have netted during their ongoing 14-match Ligue 1 winless run (D1, L13) have come courtesy of Tanguy Coulibaly.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Nantes have won only one of their six home league games as a pre-match favourite this season (D1, L4). [/p]
[p][i]Written by Aaron Murphy[/i][/p]