Le Havre vs Montpellier Prediction & Betting Tips (3 November)

Le Havre is in bad shape. The Norman club remains on 6 defeats including the last 4 without scoring. Olympique Lyonnais 0-4 and Rennes 1-0 pushed the HAC a little further after returning from the international break. A sporting slump which has put Didier Digard's players in 17th and penultimate place in the standings, 4 points behind the first non-relegation team following the first results of this 10th day. With 7 goals scored in 9 matches, Le Havre has the worst attack in the elite. Montpellier's poor form is even more blatant.

A victory, a draw and 7 defeats make up the MHSC's record for the current financial year. The Hérault team lost their last 4 meetings, in Monaco 2-1 and Reims 4-2 before the international break, then on home soil in front of Marseille 0-5 and finally in Toulouse 0-3. The setback against OM, the heaviest in the club's history at home, was too much for president Laurent Nicollin who immediately dismissed his coach Michel Der Zakarian. For its premiere last weekend, his successor Jean-Louis Gasset did not sound rebellious. These 8 goals conceded in 2 matches make Montpellier the most porous defense in the championship, with 29 goals conceded. 

The sporting situation in Le Havre is worrying and its large number of unavailable players does not help in this regard. Experienced full-back El Hajjam, forwards Kitala and Logbo and midfielder Mosengo are all on the flank and have yet to play this season. The loss of young striker Ngoura with little playing time is also worth noting. Also absent recently, the defensive captain Sanganté, the offensive Joujou (no goals) and the Russian midfielder Kuzyaev (1 goal) experienced different outcomes. The first remains unavailable and his teammates are fit again. We must add to this the suspensions of the starting defender Opéri, excluded against Rennes, and of the senior winger Casimir who has not yet scored this season.  The red lantern of the championship is also harmed by numerous defections, in addition to the suspensions of the young Dzodic for the next 2 matches and the master of the game Savanier (1 goal), lacking confidence and influence. The last city will still be suspended for the next day.

Defenders Jullien, Kouyaté and Omeragic remain in the infirmary. This is also the case for midfielders Fayad and Chotard and low-profile attackers Ngosso and Issoufou. A number of absentees which poses a problem for new coach Jean-Louis Gasset, eager to redress the situation. Nordin (2 goals) scored Montpellier's last goal on October 6. For his first on the bench against Toulouse, the coach reshaped his defensive line and revived Khazri. The club also recruited central defender Maksimovic after this debacle. The former Naples player, author of 146 Serie A matches, is not yet qualified.