With a European place next season still within their grasp, Lorient resume their Ligue 1 campaign by welcoming Montpellier HSC to Stade du Moutsoir on Thursday.
The French club based in Brittany are off to their best-ever start domestically, sitting fifth in the table on 28 points, 14 more than their opponents this week, who are winless in league play since September.
Match preview
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As the campaign reaches the end of 2022, Les Merlus might be one of the best underdog stories in Ligue 1 right now, just three wins shy of exceeding their points total from 2021-22 and with 23 matches still to play.
Under Regis Le Bris, this team have already equalled the total number of wins they had a season ago (eight), and they are currently holding onto a place in the Europa Conference League, one point above Monaco for fifth.
They are winless in their last three domestic home fixtures, drawing 0-0 with Reims before falling 2-1 versus Nice and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively.
It seems like the World Cup break came at a good time for them, as Lorient are winless in five successive league affairs after winning six in a row, a record for this club in the top flight.
At times this season, Les Merlus have failed to deliver that killer blow, squandering five points from winning positions, including in their previous league fixture versus Strasbourg (1-1) and in late October when they dropped a 2-1 decision at home to Nice.
Montpellier have been a thorn in their side in this competition, with Lorient going winless in their last 11 Ligue 1 affairs played against them.
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Aside from an emphatic 7-0 triumph over Brest at the end of August, not much has gone right for La Paillade in the top-flight this season.
They went into the World Cup break with a pair of 1-1 draws versus Clermont and Reims, the only two points that caretaker manager Romain Pitau has accumulated in the league since replacing Olivier Dall'Oglio in October.
In their last six games before the international break, Montpellier failed to score more than a single goal in any of those encounters as they find themselves just a point above the relegation line after 15 games.
Defending has not been this team's strong suit throughout the campaign, conceding 29 times in 2022-23, the third-most among sides in the top flight.
That 7-0 triumph earlier in the competition was their only victory away from home this season, as they have conceded multiple goals on four separate occasions during the campaign.
They have been outscored 4-1 in their previous two road contests in Ligue 1 and have only scored two first-half goals domestically since October.
Team News
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Terem Moffi has goals in back-to-back league contests for Lorient, putting him third behind Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, Theo Le Bris had the winner in their previous home victory versus Lille (2-1), while Yvon Mvogo has just one clean sheet at Stade du Moutsoir over this campaign.
Julien Ponceau and Adil Aouchiche each found the back of the net last week when they defeated Nantes in a friendly 2-1, while Stephane Diarra scored when they drew Osasuna 1-1 at the beginning of this month.
Mvogo is dealing with a tendon injury that might keep him sidelined until March, as he was replaced in goal by Vito Mannone against PSG, the only Lorient player in the starting 11 on that occasion who did not begin their match versus Strasbourg.
An injury-time equaliser from Sacha Delaye helped Montpellier collect a point against Reims, his first of the campaign, Elye Wahi, who leads them with six strikes in this competition, has not scored in his last three league fixtures, while their skipper Teji Savanier had the only goal in their previous road match which they drew with Clermont 1-1.
Savanier had the only strike in their 1-0 triumph over Lorient last season when Jonas Omlin collected a clean sheet, Stephy Mavididi and Savanier both scored in a 3-0 victory versus them at home in 2021-22, while Arnaud Nordin has not found the back of the net since mid-September.
Falaye Sacko, Christopher Jullien, Nicolas Cozza, Jordan Ferri, Savanier and Wahi were the only ones to keep their place in the starting 11 when they faced Reims.
Lorient possible starting lineup:
Mannone; Talbi, Laporte, Kalulu; Innocent; Le Bris, Le Fee, Ponceau, Boisgard, Ouattara; Moffi
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Omlin; Sacko, Sakho, Jullien, Cozza; Leroy, Ferri, Savanier; Mavididi; Wahi, Germain
We say: Lorient 1-0 Montpellier HSC
Despite their recent form against Lorient, Montpellier have hardly been convincing this season, and Les Merlus will face a side who have been shaky along the backline throughout most of the domestic campaign.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
