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Le Havre aims to uphold their strong performance in Ligue 1 as they prepare to host Lille at the Stade Oceane on Sunday afternoon. This newly-promoted team has shown remarkable resilience, losing only one of their six matches since making the leap to the top flight. In contrast, LOSC (Lille) has been struggling to find consistency in the current season.
If we were to rewind to the start of the campaign, Le Havre's manager, Luka Elsner, a 41-year-old Slovenian, would have eagerly accepted the opportunity to secure seventh place after six games, especially after his team's promotion from the second tier.
At the outset, they managed to gather just one point from their initial two matches, and it appeared that last season's Ligue 2 champions were destined for a challenging season. However, they have defied expectations, embarking on a four-game unbeaten streak, which includes two wins and two draws, keeping them within striking distance of the European qualification spots.
Their journey included a thrilling 2-2 draw with Rennes, followed by a convincing 3-0 victory over Lorient and a hard-fought goalless draw against Lyon. Last weekend, they clinched a 2-1 win against Clermont, with Nabil Alioui and Mohamed Bayo netting crucial goals in the opening seven minutes.
What's even more impressive is that only four teams in Ligue 1 have managed to score more goals than Le Havre's tally of 10 so far this season. Additionally, their defense has been rock-solid, with only four teams conceding fewer goals than Elsner's men. Therefore, the team from Normandy approaches this weekend's fixture with optimism, believing they can secure another positive result.
In spite of dominating possession with a staggering 70% and unleashing 14 shots while playing on their home turf, Lille suffered a disheartening 2-1 loss to Reims during the midweek fixture. Their woes were compounded by conceding two goals within the first 16 minutes of the match, although they managed to salvage a late goal courtesy of Benjamin Andre.
This defeat on Tuesday marked the conclusion of a previously promising four-game unbeaten streak for Les Dogues. Prior to this setback, they had displayed their mettle by securing victory in the Europa Conference League playoff and achieving commendable results against Montpellier and Rennes. They also initiated their European campaign on a high note, triumphing 2-0 over NK Olimpija Ljubljana.
Nevertheless, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Paulo Fonseca's squad has grappled with inconsistency in Ligue 1 this season. As they embark on their seventh match, their record stands at two wins, two draws, and two losses, with eight goals scored and nine conceded.
Another noteworthy aspect is Lille's struggle to secure victories in their three away league fixtures in the 2023-24 season. Instead, they have been forced to settle for a couple of draws and endured a humbling 4-1 defeat at the hands of Lorient. It is evident that Fonseca faces the daunting task of finding a winning formula for his team on the road sooner rather than later.
LOSC Lille are embarking on a quest to secure their inaugural away victory in this season's Ligue 1 campaign when they make their way to the Stade Oceane for a clash against Le Havre on Sunday, October 1st.
Le Havre's recent form has seen them triumph with a scoreline of 2-1 against Clermont Foot at the Stade Oceane on the preceding Sunday. Luka Elsner's squad has managed to avoid defeat in their last four matches, clinching two wins since their solitary 2-1 loss to Stade Brestois on August 20th.
As it stands, Le Havre occupies the seventh spot in the league standings, tied on points with the eighth-placed Olympique Marseille, both accumulating nine points from six games.
On the flip side, Lille experienced a reality check recently, suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Stade Reims at their home turf. Paulo Fonseca's side was previously riding high on a three-game unbeaten streak, which included two wins. This streak featured a convincing 2-0 victory over Ljubljana in their UEFA Europa Conference League Group A opener on September 20th.
Presently, Lille finds themselves in the 11th position in the league table with eight points from 11 games. However, a win in this upcoming fixture could propel them as high as third in the standings.
LOSCLille has dominated this fixture in recent history, securing four wins out of their last five encounters. Le Havre, on the other hand, has yet to taste victory against Les Dogues, with their most recent clash ending in a goalless draw back in October 2002. Fonseca's squad has endured a rough patch away from home, being winless in 11 consecutive away games across various competitions, with four losses since their last triumph, a 3-0 victory against Toulouse in March.
Following their win last weekend, Elsner's team has shown resilience at home, winning back-to-back games and finding the back of the net five times while conceding just once, since their 2-1 loss against Stade Brestois in August.
For the first time in 15 years, Le Havre has made their return to the elite level of French football following a promotion. Once renowned for their prolific youth academy, they have now become reliant on notable summer transfer window acquisitions, including the likes of Russian international Daler Kuzyayev and former Clermont player Mohamed Bayo.
Consequently, following their promotion, Le Havre appears content to start the seventh matchday of the season in the top half of the table. They enter this fixture on the back of a 2-1 home victory against Clermont in their most recent outing, extending their unbeaten streak to four matches in Ligue 1.
Lille, meanwhile, faces the additional challenge of competing in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season, following a remarkable first season under Paulo Fonseca's leadership. However, juggling domestic and continental competitions appears to be posing difficulties for the northern outfit. Their most recent setback came in the form of a 2-1 defeat at home to Stade Reims.
Their inconsistency throughout the campaign is evident in their record of two wins, two draws, and two defeats thus far. Lille has managed only one league victory in their last four matches and now faces the distraction of an upcoming fixture against Klaksvikar Itrottarfelag in the Faroe Islands midweek.
