Lorient vs Strasbourg Prediction & Betting Tips - Ligue 1

Prediction published on 17/12/2023, 00:50  by Joseph King in Ligue 1 Predictions

Matchday 16 in the French Ligue 1 sees 16th-place Lorient playing host to 10th-place RC Strasbourg on Saturday. It’s not been a good campaign so far for Lorient as we approach the halfway point in the season. They’re currently occupying the relegation playoff spot with their 2-6-7 record giving them 12 points and placing them one point from safety. Lorient haven’t been able to recapture the same form that saw them finish 10th last season. It’s been their defensive vulnerability and inconsistency that has stood out as the most dramatic difference. The hosts are giving up 1.80 goals per game means they currently hold the worst defensive record in the league with 29 allowed. To make matters worse, Lorient come into this matchup riding a six game winless run with three of their last four ending in defeat. Their last time taking to the field resulted in a 4-2 home loss to Marseille, their second consecutive defeat at the Stade du Moustoir.

A 2-1 home win for RC Strasbourg last weekend could signal something of a resurgence from the Alsatian club. Manager Patrick Vieria didn’t experience the best of starts after taking over the job in the summer, losing five of his first nine Ligue 1 games in charge. However, his team has since responded by losing only once in the last six, drawing four and capping things off with a 2-1 home win over Le Havre last Sunday. It marked the club’s first win since September 24 and lifted them to 10th in the standings with a points total of 17. However, the visitors still have a lot of work to do if they are to reach the highs of the 2021/22 season which saw them finish sixth in the standings.