Preview: Strasbourg vs. Montpellier HSC - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts come into the fixture still looking for their first win on home soil this season.

Match preview

Strasbourg were excellent last season, defying expectations by finishing in sixth and only narrowly missing out on European qualification.

This season is a much different story though, as they are now one of the favourites to go down.

A meagre two wins all season, against woeful Angers and underperformers Lyon, is certainly relegation form, and they currently sit four points from safety.

That shock win at Lyon came just a few weeks ago, and they also held high-flying Lens to a draw, but they failed to build on those results, losing to both Toulouse and Rennes to heap the pressure back on Mathieu Le Scornet's side.

Le Scornet is approaching almost a month in the job, but form has quickly gone backwards after the bounce the side got under his stewardship against OL and Lens.

Losing their top performer Jean-Ricner Bellegarde in the win over Lyon was a blow and has evidently contributed to their sudden dip in form again, so getting him back soon will be a priority.

Montpellier have endured some shocking results themselves since returning from the World Cup break.

In the last month alone they have suffered a 6-1 loss at Nice, a 3-0 home defeat to Nantes and a cup exit at the hands of second-tier Pau FC.

However, Stephy Mavididi inspired them to a crucial victory at Auxerre last weekend with a brace in a 2-0 win.

La Paillade understandably lost to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, but that was an 11th defeat in 16 games, which is extremely concerning as they hover just above the drop zone.

The gap to the bottom four is just two points, and they are conceding at an alarming rate, with an average of over two goals conceded per game.

Strasbourg Ligue 1 form:

L

L

D

W

L

L

Montpellier HSC Ligue 1 form:

W

L

L

L

W

L

Team News

Strasbourg allowed regular starters Ludovic Ajorque and Adrien Thomasson to leave the club in January, but they did add faces to the squad.

They signed Aston Villa's French duo Frederic Guilbert and Morgan Sanson, while also adding Ukrainian full-back Eduard Sobol from Club Brugge.

Bellegarde remains out with an ankle injury but should only be a few weeks from returning, while Gerzino Nyamsi, Dimitri Lienard, Lucas Perrin and Thomas Delaine prop up a pretty hefty injury list for Strasbourg.

Beni Makouana has joined Pedro Mendes and Theo Sainte-Luce on the sidelines for Montpellier in recent weeks.

Issiaga Sylla has been signed from Toulouse, while they brought Benjamin Lecomte back to the club after losing keeper Jonas Omlin to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Strasbourg possible starting lineup:

Sels; Guilbert, Doukoure, Djiku, Le Marchand, Sobol; Diarra, Prcic, Sissoko, Sanson; Diallo

Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:

Lecomte; Sacko, Jullien, Esteve, Maouassa; Leroy, Chotard, Savanier; Nordin, Germain, Mavididi

We say: Strasbourg 2-2 Montpellier HSC

Despite both struggling, Strasbourg and Montpellier have been able to find the net with some regularity this season.

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