Competition: Ligue 1
Market: Goal to be scored in both halves
Odds: 10/11 @ BetUS
In what looks set to be a season-defining showdown from the foot of the Ligue 1 standings, Nice will welcome Le Havre to the Allianz Riviera on Sunday night.
Starting with the hosts, breaking a string of unwanted records this season, Nice have rightfully come under a huge amount of scrutiny. At the heart of an infamous Ligue 1 relegation scrap, Claude Puel’s men have serious pressure on their shoulders this weekend. Last seen marking their return from March’s international break with a routine 3-1 loss away at Strasbourg, the Eagles have lost four of their previous five top-flight appearances. Heading into March’s fortnight interval with a 4-0 drumming at the hands of reigning domestic and European champions PSG, Nice have also claimed just a sole win from any of their last nine Ligue 1 appearances – a run that stems back to a 4-1 victory against Nantes on January 25th. With their nightmare blip underlined by another 4-0 loss at home against Rennes on March 3rd, Sunday’s hosts have unsurprisingly gained a reputation for their glaring defensive struggles.
As for the visitors, although Le Havre might have got February underway with consecutive Ligue 1 victories, Didier Digard’s side have come crashing back down to earth in a worrying fashion. Missing out on what they had billed as a golden opportunity last weekend as they marked their return from March’s international break with a 1-1 stalemate at the Stade Oceane, Sunday’s guests have collected just two points from their previous six Ligue 1 appearances. Heading into the fortnight interval with an action-packed 3-2 defeat against Paris FC, Le Havre have also shown their own extended defensive issues. In fact, Digard’s leaky defence have registered just a single top-flight clean sheet since the end of January. Including a pair of 2-0 losses against Brest and Nantes, the Dean Club have lost each of their previous four straight showdowns outside of Normandy by an aggregate score of 8-2.
Bet: Goal to be scored in both halves at Nice vs Le Havre 10/11 for Sunday’s Ligue 1 matchup @ BetUS
