Matchday 14 in Ligue 1 between Nice and Le Havre will take place on December 7 at the Allianz Riviera Stadium. Nice vs. Le Havre: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: François Letexier (France)
Matches – 19 (Ligue 1, 2023/24–2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 79;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.2;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 11%.
Predicted lineups for Nice vs. Le Havre
Nice (3-4-3): Marcin Bulka – Moise Bombito, Pablo Rosario, Mohamed Abdel Monem – Tom Lashe, Hicham Boudaoui, Tanguy Ndombele, Yaël Nandju – Sofiane Diop, Evann Guessand, Mohamed-Ali Cho.
Le Havre (3-4-3): Arthur Desmas – Gautier Lloris, Etienne Kinkoue, Timothée Pembélé – Christopher Operi, Abdoulaye Touré, Daler Kuzyaev, Josué Casimir – Issa Soumaré, Emmanuel Sabbi, André Ayew.
The starting lineup for each team in their previous match in this tournament is listed.
Nice
The club's eight-match unbeaten run in Ligue 1 (4 wins, 4 draws) was halted with a heavy 1-4 defeat to Lyon in the last round. However, Nice's scoring streak in the league continues, reaching seven games. Despite this, the team has dropped one position in the Ligue 1 standings, moving to 6th place. It's also worth noting that Franck Haise's side is among only two clubs in the current championship, alongside PSG, that have not lost at home (3 wins, 3 draws).
There are significant squad issues, with defenders Dante, Jonathan Clauss, Ali Abdi, Antoine Mendy, Youssouf Ndayishimiye, midfielder Morgan Sanson, and forwards Jérémie Boga, Terem Moffi unavailable due to injuries.
- Both teams scored in 6 of Nice's last 7 Ligue 1 matches.
- The team's scoring home streak in this tournament stands at 11 matches.
- At least 3 goals were scored in 8 of the last 11 home games in the French championship.
Le Havre
The club suffered its 9th defeat of the current Ligue 1 season (4 wins), losing 0-1 to Angers in the previous match. Consequently, Le Havre remains the only club in the current championship that has not drawn a match. Following the loss in the last round, the team has fallen back into the relegation playoff zone in the standings of the elite French division, slipping to 16th place. Additionally, Le Havre is still at the bottom of the list of the league's most prolific clubs, having scored only 10 goals.
- The team's uncompromising streak in the championship includes 16 matches (5 wins, 11 losses).
- One opponent failed to score in 8 of Le Havre's last Ligue 1 matches.
- No more than 2 goals were scored in 6 of the last 7 away games in the elite French league.
Nice vs. Le Havre: Match Prediction
Franck Haise's side is facing a difficult period, with numerous squad issues causing the club to start losing ground, having lost the last two matches with the same score of 1-4, against Rangers in the Europa League and Lyon in the championship. Yet, when the coach had all the key players, Nice performed excellently in Ligue 1 and remained unbeaten for eight matches in this tournament before the last round's defeat. However, the hosts should be able to handle the upcoming opponent even with the current problems.
Le Havre is one of the main underdogs of the current championship and is a candidate for relegation. The club justifiably sits at the lower end of the standings and has so far made the worst impression among all teams in attack. But Nice is not currently good enough to comfortably beat even such a weak opponent. Therefore, I disagree with the bookmakers, who are making the hosts clear favorites. Yes, the club from the French Riviera is capable of winning, but not by a large margin. Even before the squad problems began, the team did not have a significant advantage over opponents, as the statistics confirm. Nice has not won by more than 1 goal in its last 8 Ligue 1 matches.
Le Havre, on the other hand, has won with a handicap of 1.5 goals in 4 of its last 5 championship matches. I believe that the visitors can avoid a heavy defeat this time, given the opponent's issues. Therefore, my prediction: Le Havre with a handicap (+1.5)
