The Matchday 34 clash in Ligue 1 between Nantes and Montpellier will take place on May 17 at the Beaujoire Stadium. Nantes vs. Montpellier: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Nantes
The Bretons drew 1-1 with Auxerre in the last round, extending their winless streak in the league to five matches (3 draws, 2 losses). Despite dropping points against Auxerre, the team remains in 15th place in the Ligue 1 standings and has even increased their gap from the relegation zone to one point. A victory in the upcoming match will guarantee Nantes' place in the French top flight regardless of results in other fixtures. On home turf this season, the Bretons have struggled, failing to win 12 out of 16 matches (6 draws, 6 losses).
- No more than 3 goals have been scored in Nantes' last 6 Ligue 1 matches.
- At home, the club has not lost in 7 of their last 10 league matches (3 wins, 4 draws).
- The team has not scored more than 1 goal in their last 5 home games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Nantes (5-3-2)
Anthony Lopes – Sorba Thomas, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Nathan Zeze, Nicolas Pallois, Fabien Centonze – Francis Coquelin, Pedro Chirivella, Douglas Augusto – Matthis Abline, Moses Simon.
Montpellier
The club suffered their 25th defeat of the current Ligue 1 season (4 wins, 4 draws), losing heavily to PSG 1-4 in the last round. Following yet another setback, Montpellier's gap to their nearest competitor in the French league standings has grown to 14 points, with the club long since confirming their finish at the bottom of the table. The team ranks at the bottom of nearly all negative statistics for the current Ligue 1 season, including being the worst away team. In the current championship, Montpellier has lost 15 out of 16 away matches, winning only once. Additionally, note the goal difference in away games, with the club scoring just 6 goals and conceding 35 times.
- The team's winless streak in the French top division stands at 14 matches (1 draw, 13 losses).
- The club failed to score in 9 of their last 11 league matches.
- No more than 2 goals have been scored in 6 of Montpellier's last 7 away Ligue 1 matches.
Predicted lineup for Montpellier (5-3-2)
Benjamin Lecomte – Enzo Chato Mbiayi, Bechir Omeragic, Yael Mouanga, Luka Davin, Theo Chennay – Joris Chotard, Jordan Ferri, Rabbi Njingula – Khalil Fayad, Tanguy Koulibaly.
Midfielder Khalil Fayad and forward Rabbi Njingula will miss the match due to yellow card suspensions.
Referee
Clement Turpin (France)
Matches – 17 (Ligue 1, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 51;
Average yellow cards per match – 3;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 24%.
Nantes vs. Montpellier: Match Prediction
I see no intrigue in the upcoming encounter, as the hosts face a hopeless league bottom-dweller that has lost 13 of their last 14 matches. Moreover, Montpellier failed to score in 11 of those games. The visitors have long since lost any league motivation, having confirmed their relegation to Ligue 2. Nantes, on the other hand, is still fighting to stay in Ligue 1 and will be determined to win their final league match, which will guarantee them survival.
Nantes has also fared well against this opponent in past seasons, even when Montpellier was a mid-table team rather than a hopeless relegation candidate as they are now. The Bretons have won 4 of the last 6 head-to-head matches in Ligue 1 (1 draw, 1 loss). Therefore, I agree with the bookmakers who have made the hosts clear favorites for the upcoming match.
My prediction – Nantes to Win