St Etienne vs Montpellier Prediction & Tips
Barring a drastic improvement in performance, everything indicates that St Étienne are headed for the club’s first stay in Ligue 2 since the 2004/05 season. Despite ending their seven-game losing streak in Ligue 1 against Angers last week (1-0), ‘Les Verts’ are still five points away from leaving the relegation zone, and their drop in the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France against Bergerac of the fourth division only makes things worse.
The hosts desperately need to avoid defeat in this clash, otherwise they will be remembered as the first St Étienne team to lose five successive top-flight home games in the club’s 102-year history! He can only hope that coach Pascal Dupraz can work his magic, having won their last three home meetings against Montpellier in Ligue 1 — each by a score of 1-0.
Going into this matchday, Montpellier find themselves outside the top five of Ligue 1 on goal difference alone, making them dream of participating in European competition for the first time since the 2012-13 season. His success has been based on attacking power, since you have to go back to the 2011/12 season (in which he won the title) to find the last time he scored the most goals after 22 games (37).
On the positive side for Montpellier, they have gone three-for-three in three of their last five L1 away games after going winless in the first five (D2, L3). Furthermore, Montpellier have also failed to concede a goal in any of their last four visits to the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard (G3, D1), which should give them a psychological edge.
Players to watch: St Étienne will be helped by the return of striker Wahbi Khazri, who was in AFCON with Tunisia, as he accounts for 37% of the team’s goals in the league. Montpellier’s Stephy Mavididi has also been a lucky charm, helping his side win in each of the seven games he scored in in the 2021-22 league season – he scored a brace in his most recent appearance in Ligue 1.
Featured fact: Both teams have played 23 consecutive Ligue 1 games (combined) without drawing.
St Etienne – Montpellier FREE TIPS
St Etienne – Win @ 2.25
