Le Havre vs Valenciennes Prediction & Betting Tips - Ligue 2

Prediction published on 20/05/2023, 13:18  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 22/05/2023 at 06:45 in Ligue 2 Prediction

Top of the table Le Havre can win promotion to Ligue 1 if beating 18th placed Valenciennes at home. A point would all but guarantee them promotion as they have a better goal difference than third placed Metz. Le Havre lead the table by two points from Bordeaux and this is their game in hand. There are two matches to play after this and Le Havre will hope there's no more promotion jitters. That was the case in their last match when losing at Annency who are battling relegation. The defeat was only the second league defeat in 35 games this season. The other was inflicted by Valenciennes in early August. After a poor end to last season, Le Havre only won one of their first five games this term but they've improved since then. They had played 32 league games before that recent loss. Home form has seen them unbeaten in Ligue 2 this season, the only side to achieve that. The last three have seen them keep a clean sheet making it 11 at home in which they haven't conceded. Just seven home league goals have been conceded this season.

Valenciennes also need points from this game but for a very different reason. They are two points from safety with three games remaining. A win here will take them out of the bottom four but they will need to improve their form. They have just one win in their last 13 league matches. That was a 2-0 win at Amiens in April but since then they have earned only one point from three games. The last two have both been drawn and Valenciennes led in both of those matches. Six of their last nine away Ligue 2 matches have been lost so not surprisingly we tip Le Havre to win this match.