Montpellier-Nantes is a match valid for the 31st day of Ligue 1 and is played Friday at 9pm: stats, live TV, probable formations, predictions.
On one side we have a team, Montpellier, who have salvation practically in their pocket after winning three of their last four games. On the other, however, we have Nantes, which, like last year, seems destined to experience a troubled end to the season.
The yellow-greens are out of the red zone but are only 3 points ahead of the third-last and risk having to play – at best – the promotion-relegation playoff. Last Saturday came a very heavy defeat in front of their own public in the heartfelt derby with Rennes (0-3), which only exacerbated the complicated moment for the men of Antoine Kombouare, who was urgently recalled in mid-March to replace the exonerated Jocelyn Gourvennec. The knockout with the Rossoneri wiped out the enthusiasm for the victory obtained seven days earlier in the direct clash with Le Havre and confirmed the difficulties Chirivella and his teammates face in home matches: at the Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes has been losing continuously since December and the only points, in the last five months, have come exclusively away from home.
Kombouare hopes the trend will continue in the Occitan away game, against a Montpellier side that, however, has not known defeat for over a month and is unbeaten for four Ligue 1 rounds.
The team coached by Michel Der Zakarian took advantage of the favorable calendar, scraping together the points they needed to move away from the red zone for good and moving up to +8 from third-last-place Le Havre. To be assured of playing in the top flight again next year, however, one last effort is still needed.
The Prediction
Nantes has yes shined in the last few away matches but this time they will face a healthy team, which has almost reached its season goal and can therefore play this match without pressure on their shoulders. Montpellier slightly favored in a match in which the guests, eager to redeem the poor showing in the derby with Rennes, should also score.
The probable formations of Montpellier-Nantes
MONTPELLIER (4-2-3-1): Lecomte; Tchato, Omeragic, Sagnan, Mincarelli; Chotard, Leroy; Nordin, Savanier, Coulibaly; Khazri.
NANTES (4-2-3-1): Lafont; Duverne, Castelletto, Pallois, Amian; Moutoussamy, Chirivella; Mollet, Sissoko, Bamba; Mohamed.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
