Hoping to build on their recent resurgence, relegation-threatened Montpellier HSC welcome Lens to Stade de la Mosson for round 20 of Ligue 1 this Friday.
The hosts sit 17th in the standings after 19 matches with 15 points, three adrift of safety, while the visitors are seventh on 30 points, only outside the European places due to an inferior goal difference.
Match preview
© Imago
Montpellier enter this fixture on the back of successive victories, starting with a shock 2-1 win over Monaco before securing the same result away to Toulouse last time out.
Much like their triumph over the Red and Whites, where they overturned a first-half deficit to win through a Musa Al-Taamari brace (52' and 82'), La Paillade displayed their comeback prowess once again against Carles Martinez Novell's side.
After falling behind to Cristian Casseres's 59th-minute effort, Montpellier responded swiftly, with Modibo Sagnan levelling two minutes after the hour mark before Othmane Maamma's 82nd-minute strike completed the turnaround.
Despite those results, MHSC remain in the relegation zone, but manager Jean-Louis Gasset can take encouragement from his team's recent upturn, having recorded as many wins in their last two games as they had in their previous 17.
While the hosts look to extend their resurgence, they face a tough challenge against Lens, having gone winless in their last six meetings, including three draws and three defeats, while failing to score in four.
MHSC's season has been defined by defensive woes, shipping a league-high 44 goals, while their tally of 20 makes them the joint-second lowest scorers, a vulnerability they must address against a Lens side that has been the toughest to breach on the road, conceding just eight times.
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Meanwhile, Will Still's side returned to winning ways last time out, following a 2-1 defeat to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain with a 1-0 victory over Angers.
After relinquishing a 36th-minute lead from M'Bala Nzola in a comeback defeat to PSG, Les Sang et Or responded with a commanding display against the newly promoted side, not allowing a single shot on target while registering four of their own, one of which saw Przemyslaw Frankowski's 49th-minute strike prove decisive in settling the contest.
Now level on points with sixth-placed Lyon but trailing on goal difference and four behind Monaco in the final Champions League spot, Lens will hope their triumph over Angers sparks a strong run as they push for a third successive European campaign.
The Blood and Gold have struggled for consistency this season, managing back-to-back wins just twice — first in their opening fixtures against Angers and Brest, then again between late November and early December with 2-0 victories over Reims and Friday's hosts in the reverse fixture.
Lens have historically dominated this matchup, winning 25 of the 45 meetings between the teams with a 49% win rate — their highest against any side in the current top-flight campaign.
Team News
![Jordan Ferri (12) of Montpellier HSC during the friendly match between Girona FC and Montpellier HSC played at the Royalverd Training Center sports facilities, July 20 ,2024[on July 25, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/30/jordan-ferri.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Jordan Ferri (12) of Montpellier HSC during the friendly match between Girona FC and Montpellier HSC played at the Royalverd Training Center sports facilities, July 20 ,2024[on July 25, 2024]")
© Imago
The hosts will be without captain Jordan Ferri, who remains suspended following his red card in the defeat to Angers earlier this month.
Nikola Maksimovic is ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury, while Christopher Jullien and Lucas Mincarelli are sidelined for Friday's match, with both expected to return in early February.
Australian goalkeeper Matt Ryan, who was signed from Roma following Brice Samba's unexpected departure, is set to retain his place in goal for Lens after a quiet debut against Angers.
Meanwhile, the visitors have continued to strengthen, bringing in Juma Bah on loan from Manchester City just a week after selling Uzbekistan international Abdukodir Khusanov to the Premier League club for £34m, though Friday's clash may come too soon for the new arrival.
Lens remain without several key players, including Denis Petric (back), Jhoanner Chavez (ankle) and Remy Labeau Lascary, who is sidelined for the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Lecomte; Sylla, Mouanga, Sagnan, Omeragic, Tchato; Chotard, Nzingoula, Savanier; Al-Taamari, Khazri
Lens possible starting lineup:
Ryan; Sarr, Gradit, Medina; Frankowski, Sotoca, El Aynaoui, Thomasson, Fulgini; Nzola, Koyalipou
We say: Montpellier HSC 1-2 Lens
Despite an inconsistent season, Lens have been strong on the road, winning four, drawing four and losing just one, with their solid defence playing a key role.
Montpellier, however, will be hopeful of securing all three points given their recent form, though their struggles against the visitors could resurface, making victory for the away side the most probable outcome in what should be a tight contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
