The Matchday 3 clash in Ligue 1 between Le Havre and Nice will take place on August 31 at the Ocean Stadium. Le Havre vs. Nice: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Le Havre
The club lost both of their opening matches in the championship, falling to Monaco (1-3) and Lens (1-2). As a result, Le Havre finds themselves in the playoff zone of the Ligue 1 standings, occupying the 16th position. Notably, the team has conceded 5 goals in just 2 rounds, with only Brest conceding more (6). Additionally, Le Havre has not won at home in the top French championship for 6 matches (1 draw, 3 losses).
- The club has not won in 6 of their last 8 matches in Ligue 1 (1 draw, 5 losses).
- Both teams scored in the last 8 home matches of the team in this tournament.
- At least 3 goals were scored in 6 of Le Havre's last 8 home matches in the French championship.
Projected lineup for Le Havre (4-5-1)
Mory Diaw – Yanis Zouaoui, Gauthier Lloris, Aruna Sangante, Fode Doucoure – Ayumu Seko, Issa Soumare, Yassine Kechta, Rassoul Ndiaye, Loic Nego – Mbwana Samatta.
Nice
After losing in the first round to Toulouse (0-1), the team won their next tournament match against Auxerre with a score of 3-1. Thus, Nice has won 5 of their last 7 matches in the French championship (2 losses). The victory over Auxerre allowed them to climb to the 9th position in the Ligue 1 standings. Attention should be paid to the club's unreliable defensive play in away matches of the championship, where they have conceded in 11 matches.
- The team opened the scoring in 6 of their last 8 matches in the top French division.
- Both teams scored in 10 of Nice's last 11 away matches in Ligue 1.
- On the road, the club has not lost in 16 of their last 22 matches in the championship (8 wins, 8 draws).
Projected lineup for Nice (3-4-3)
Yevann Diouf – Kodjo Oppong, Djuma Ba, Antoine Mendy – Melvin Bard, Tom Lusche, Salis Abdul Samed, Hicham Boudaoui – Jeremie Boga, Isak Jansson, Kevin Omoruyi.
Midfielder Pablo Rosario has left the club and joined Porto.
Referee
Jerome Brisard (France)
Matches – 19 (Ligue 1, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 74;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.9;
Red cards shown – 7;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 42%.
Le Havre vs. Nice: Match Prediction
The hosts have a very challenging schedule at the start of the championship. After losing to Monaco and Lens, they face Nice. I do not expect the upcoming match to be any easier for them. The visitors are traditionally among the contenders for European competition spots, and they started the current season earlier than many French teams due to their participation in the Champions League qualifiers and are gradually reaching optimal form. After an unfortunate setback in the first-round match against Toulouse, where the team from the French Riviera should have earned points, they defeated a solid Auxerre in their previous match.
However, the visitors' defense is not improving, with a large number of injured players in the backline, including captain Dante, affecting its reliability. Meanwhile, Le Havre, despite losing to strong opponents in the current championship, managed to score against both Monaco and Lens. Moreover, the club's goal-scoring streak in Ligue 1 is an impressive 17 matches. At home, Le Havre regularly scores, having done so in 8 consecutive matches in this tournament. Nice, on the other hand, has failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 away matches in the championship.
But the hosts' defense is not impenetrable either, as they have conceded in 13 consecutive Ligue 1 matches at home. Therefore, I expect both teams to score. Furthermore, in 3 of the last 4 head-to-head meetings after Le Havre's return to the elite French championship, the upcoming opponents have found the net against each other. My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
