Lens will be looking to bounce back from their recent Ligue 1 home defeat by Marseille when they host bottom Montpellier HSC at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Sunday's gameweek 14 match.
The seventh-placed side aim to exploit their struggling opponents' wretched start to 2024-25 and extend La Paillade's winless road results (six defeats).
Match preview
Although Lens have had a mixed season, securing six points from the last available nine has offered stability for Will Still's side, even if losing to Marseille (1-3) on November 23 disappointed the club's supporters.
A closer look at Les Sang et Or's recent results highlights the unfavourable schedule that pit them against the league's top three clubs — Paris Saint-Germain, Roberto De Zerbi's team and Lille — in the last five.
All three games ended in losses, with Still notching success against second-bottom Nantes (3-2) and getting the better of his old side Reims (2-0) last time out.
Those results point to a side that may struggle to outwit the league's best clubs while dispatching the lower-placed teams, possibly boding well against the Ligue 1 cellar-dwellers.
Despite the previous three meetings ending in a share of the spoils, the home support will demand a top performance from their players to improve on an indifferent set of results on home soil: two wins, two draws and two losses.
Montpellier's dismal away record, rather than Lens' home dominance, is the primary reason for the hosts being considered strong favourites in this match.
Even though La Paillade made a managerial change, with Jean-Louis Gasset replacing Michel Der Zakarian in October, results have barely improved, with one win secured in five under the experienced Frenchman.
Two of the club's three losses in that period have been on their travels, extending a sequence of away defeats now at six, emulating Lorient's 2016-17 run and could become the fourth away side to fall to seven consecutive losses to start the season this century, joining Le Mans in 2009-10, Brest three seasons later and Lorient in 2013-14.
Although three other clubs (Strasbourg, Rennes and Saint-Etienne) have failed to secure maximum points on their travels, only Montpellier have lost every match as visitors this term.
Already on their worst start to a league campaign after accruing eight points from 13 matches, La Paillade seek to halt an ominous set of results this term, with 11 of the previous 12 clubs to start a Ligue 1 season with similar points failing to beat the drop.
Team News
Ruben Aguilar (shoulder), Wesley Said (leg), Martin Satriano and Jimmy Cabot (both have knee issues) are expected to miss out for Lens through injury.
Having notched three goals apiece, M'Bala Nzola and Przemyslaw Frankowski aim to add to their tally against the league's bottom side.
Arnaud Nordin has netted two of Montpellier's away goals this term, both coming in the 4-2 loss at Reims in early October, and Gasset will hope the wide attacker comes up trumps this weekend.
The away side have several players missing through injury or suspension: Tanguy Coulibaly received a late sending-off against Lille, while Akor Adams, Khalil Fayad (both have leg injuries), Lucas Mincarelli (muscle), Boubakar Kouyate, Glenn Ngosso and Christopher Jullien (all three have knee injuries) are absent.
Lens possible starting lineup:
Samba; Khusanov, Danso, Medina; F, Thomasson, Diouf, Chavez; Fulgini, Sotoca; Nzola
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Lecomte; Mbiayi, Maksimovic, Sagnan, Sylla; Ferri, Chotard; Al-Taamari, Savanier, Nordin; Khazri
We say: Lens 2-0 Montpellier HSC
Montpellier have fired blanks in four of their six away games this term, scoring three times and conceding 17. Despite Lens' inconsistency on home soil, they should claim a third victory at Stade Bollaert-Delelis at La Paillade's expense.
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