Clermont vs Le Havre - 17/03/24 | Fast live stats

Clermont vs Le Havre Prediction & Preview

Preview

As the France Ligue 1 marches into its 26th round this Sunday, the Stade Gabriel Montpied prepares to host an intriguing encounter between Clermont and Le Havre. Kickoff is slated for 14:00, promising a clash filled with tactical nuances as Pascal Gastien's Clermont side looks to leverage their home advantage against Luka Elsner's visiting Le Havre team.

Recent head-to-head encounters paint a picture of closely fought battles between these two teams. In their last five meetings, Clermont has managed to secure 2 wins compared to Le Havre's single victory, alongside two matches ending in stalemates. Notably, their most recent duel on September 24th saw Le Havre edge out Clermont with a narrow 2-1 win at Stade Océane – an outcome both teams will have fresh in memory.

Currently languishing at the lower end of the table in 18th place with just 17 points, Clermont desperately needs a turnaround. Their form over the last five matches doesn't inspire much confidence either; having failed to notch up any wins while succumbing to three losses and drawing twice. Conversely, despite sitting somewhat comfortably at mid-table (12th) with 27 points, Le Havre hasn't fared significantly better recently – managing only one win from their past five outings alongside four defeats.

Both sides come off contrasting results from their last games; Clermont suffered a close defeat against Metz (1-0), whereas Le Havre secured a slender victory over Toulouse by the same scoreline. A quick glance at goal statistics reveals that both teams struggle offensively but also have porous defenses - especially evident when playing away or at home respectively.

Bet

Given both teams' recent forms and performances along with how evenly matched they appear based on past encounters and current standings – this match promises to be tight yet unpredictable affair. With odds suggesting slightly favoring Clermont for a home win (2.6) versus an away win for Le Havre (2.8), coupled with relatively conservative scoring patterns seen so far – averaging around or below one goal per game each when playing in respective conditions - it seems prudent betting on 'Under 2.5 goals' (odds of 1.61). This option appears particularly appealing considering both sides’ struggles upfront and somewhat leaky defenses which might result in few clear-cut chances being converted into goals.