Montpellier‘s recent success in Ligue 1 has put them within three points of safety, marking their first back-to-back victories this season.
With 15 points, Montpellier has the opportunity to catch up with the two teams closest to the relegation zone if they secure a third consecutive league win, something they haven’t achieved since March 2023. However, overcoming Lens, a team they haven’t defeated since October 2021 (D3, L3), is necessary to accomplish this.
Playing at home should work in Montpellier’s favor, as they have performed well in their last five home league matches. Although they haven’t managed to keep a clean sheet in any of those games (W2, D2, L1), they have scored six equalizing goals. However, it’s worth noting that manager Jean-Louis Gasset has never played out a draw against Lens (W3, L4). Additionally, only two out of the seven matches between the teams have seen both sides score, highlighting the importance of scoring the first goal.
Looking to secure a place in the European positions, Lens heads into this match with inconsistent form in the last five Ligue 1 matches (W2, D1, L2). However, they have an opportunity to achieve their first consecutive victories of the year. This form mirrors their manager Will Still’s personal record against Montpellier, which includes a 2-0 win in the previous encounter this season.
Playing away from home shouldn’t deter Still’s team as they aim to complete a head-to-head double. In their most recent Ligue 1 away game, they managed to come from behind and secure a victory. In fact, they have only lost one of their previous ten away league matches (W4, D5). Only PSG and Marseille have a better away league record than Lens this season. Additionally, Lens has shown resilience by avoiding defeat on three out of four occasions when conceding the first goal away (W1, D2, L1).
Players to keep an eye on: Montpellier’s defender Mobido Sagnan surprised everyone by scoring the first goal last weekend, but he is more likely to draw attention for a different reason as he has received four yellow cards in his last nine matches. Lens’ Przemyslaw Frankowski, on the other hand, scored the winning goal last weekend (1-0 victory) and has now opened the scoring in six out of his last seven goals for the club.
Interesting fact: Montpellier has managed to avoid defeat in six out of their last seven Friday matches in Ligue 1 (3 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss).
