The Matchday 17 clash in Ligue 1 between Le Havre and Lens will take place on January 12 at the Stade Océane. Le Havre vs. Lens: prediction, betting odds, and statistics.
Referee: Clément Turpin (France)
Matches – 8 (Ligue 1, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 24;
Average yellow cards per match – 3;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 38%.
Predicted lineups for Le Havre vs. Lens
Le Havre (3-5-2): Arthur Desmas – Gautier Lloris, Etienne Kinkoue, Timothee Pembele – Yanis Zouaoui, Daler Kuzyaev, Yassine Kechta, Abdoulaye Touré, Loic Nego – Andre Ayew, Ilyes Housni.
Lens (4-2-3-1): Koffi Kouakou – Deiver Machado, Malang Sarr, Kevin Danso, Przemysław Frankowski – Andy Diouf, Adrien Thomasson – Anass Zaroury, Angelo Fulgini, Florian Sotoca – M'Bala Nzola.
Each team's starting lineup from their previous match in this tournament is listed.
Le Havre
Didier Digard's side suffered a 1-5 defeat away to Marseille in the last round. As a result, Le Havre recorded their 12th loss of the current Ligue 1 season and their fourth in a row. Moreover, the team has lost by a large margin for the sixth time this season. With 12 points, the club sits second to last in the standings. Notably, Le Havre has scored the fewest goals this Ligue 1 season – just 12.
- The club has lost 7 of their last 9 home matches in Ligue 1.
- At least one opponent failed to score in six of the team's previous home games in the league.
- At least three goals have been scored in 8 of Le Havre's last 10 Ligue 1 matches.
Lens
In the last round, William Still's side lost 0-1 at home to Toulouse. This defeat marked Lens' fourth in the current championship. Additionally, the club failed to score for the first time in six Ligue 1 matches. In the standings, the team has 24 points and occupies the seventh position. It is worth noting that Lens has conceded only 15 goals this season, trailing only PSG (14) in this regard.
Midfielder David Pereira da Costa is suspended, and key defender Kevin Danso will miss the match due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
- The team has not lost in 8 of their last 9 away games in Ligue 1 (3 wins, 5 draws).
- No more than two goals have been scored in 7 of the club's previous 9 away matches in the league.
- The number "1" has appeared in the final score in 8 of Lens' last 12 away matches in Ligue 1.
Le Havre vs. Lens: Match Prediction
Even in home games, Le Havre cannot boast high scoring – the team lacks attacking potential and scores very little. In their last 16 home matches in the league, the players have only managed to score more than one goal twice, and in their last six home games in Ligue 1, the team has scored just one goal.
Lens also struggles to score in large quantities – the club focuses on solid defensive performances to achieve positive results. Although the team regularly finds the net, they often settle for just one goal – as seen in 8 of their last 12 away matches in the league.
I would also note that last season in Ligue 1, the teams ended without goals at Le Havre's ground. I expect another low-scoring match this time, so my prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
