🏏 Sun, 17 May 2026 21:00 CEST
FC Lorient
vs
Le Havre AC
3-4-2-1 vs 4-2-3-1
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- The meeting of 9th-placed Lorient (45 points) and 14th-placed Le Havre (32 points). Lorient are safe in mid-table but still hold an outside hope of a European place. Despite an up-and-down run of 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in their last five, they thrashed Metz 4-0 away last time out. Le Havre, meanwhile, are in the thick of the relegation battle and have gone without a win, with 4 draws and 1 loss in their last five.
- In the first meeting on Matchday 5, it finished 1-1 at Le Havre. This season's second meeting comes at Lorient. Le Havre have drawn their last four, holding their own against strong sides like Lille and Metz, but carry the frustration of being unable to add the three points.
- Lorient set up in a 3-4-2-1 with Senegal international forward Bamba Dieng leading the line. Behind him, Argentine Pablo Pagis and DR Congo international Makengo play as the two shadow strikers. Makengo, also deployed as a defensive midfielder, is a versatile, experienced player who has moved through several Ligue 1 clubs including Cannes, Monaco and Lyon.
- Le Havre adopt a 4-2-3-1 with Morocco international forward Ayoub Ouseinou up front. His weapon is heading off his 194cm frame, and he is a former France U-20 international. Behind him, Nigerian midfielder Dele Bashiru plays as the No.10, forming the midfield alongside defensive midfielder Emre Akbulut.
- In defence, Lorient's Switzerland international goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo holds the key. He is a quality keeper with experience at European heavyweights such as RB Leipzig and PSV Eindhoven. Le Havre, by contrast, have French goalkeeper Mathieu Gorgelin guarding their last line. Both keepers' fine saves could decide the outcome.
- Le Havre's challenge is their goal output — just 30 in 33 games, the second-lowest in the league. They also lost 0-1 to Marseille last time out, and their lack of cutting edge is a serious problem. Lorient, by contrast, are balanced at both ends with 48 scored and 49 conceded, and if they can reproduce the four-goal burst from the Metz game, can they pull clear of survival-battling Le Havre?