Ligue 1 | Gameweek 11

Nov 10, 2024 at 4pm UK

Stade Oceane

Le Havrevs.Reims

Match preview

Following their title-winning campaign in Ligue 2 in 2022-23, Le Havre finished a respectable 15th on their return to Ligue 1 last season, and it appears that Sunday's hosts are set for another season of fighting the drop, this time at the top of French football.

Les Ciel et Marine's quest for top-flight safety received a major boost last Sunday when relegation rivals Montpellier came to the Stade Oceane and returned home with nothing to show for their efforts, with a second-half penalty from captain extraordinaire Abdoulaye Toure sealing the points for the hosts.

Victory for Le Havre last weekend ended a worrying six-game losing streak and moved them to nine points from 10 games, leaving them 17th in the Ligue 1 standings, just one point behind Angers in the relative safety of 15th.

Les Ciel et Marine, who have struggled to pick up points away from home, will be keen to build their case for survival on solid home form, but Didier Digard's men have conceded a staggering 12 goals in five league games at the Stade Oceane, with only whipping boys Montpellier (14) conceding more at their own ground.

With midfielder Toure the only Le Havre player to find the net on more than one occasion so far in 2024-25, supporters will be desperate to see the best of October signing Andre Ayew in the near future, with the Ghanaian legend signing as a free agent after spending most of last season at the club.

Having guided Le Havre to the Ligue 2 crown and top-flight safety over the past 18 months, Reims head coach Luka Elsner will be facing his former employers for the first time since his emotional departure in the summer, with the Slovenian now chasing loftier dreams with Sunday's visitors.

After back-to-back top-half finishes, Les Rouges et Blancs will be looking to make a European push this term, but that mission has taken a hit since the club returned to action after the October international break, with Elsner's men losing three straight top-flight matches.

The latest of those defeats came at the hands of mid-table Toulouse on Sunday afternoon, when Zakaria Aboukhlal's 84th-minute strike sealed maximum points for Les Violets on home soil after a long period of dominance and second-half pressure.

Looking to rediscover the form that saw them go on a six-match unbeaten run between August and early October, Les Rouges et Blancs currently sit eighth in the Ligue 1 standings, one point behind sixth-placed Lyon and six points behind Monaco for the final Champions League spot.

While Teddy Teuma has struggled with a hamstring problem in recent weeks, two Japanese internationals have stepped up in attack for Reims, with Keito Nakamura and Junya Ito combining for 11 goals in the first 10 games of the season.

Le Havre Ligue 1 form:

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Reims Ligue 1 form:

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Team News

Le Havre's problems in attack have been exacerbated by the absence of Andy Logbo, who has yet to kick a competitive ball this season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in January

Les Ciel et Marine are also without first-choice centre-back Arouna Sangante, who picked up a groin problem in early October.

Goalkeeper Arthur Desmas, who kept only his second clean sheet of the season last weekend, will be looking for another fine performance behind an experienced centre-back trio.

Reims will not be able to call on the creative talents of Malta international Teuma, so Yaya Fofana should be back in the middle for the visitors this weekend.

Reda Khadra's hopes of a productive second spell at the club were dashed when he suffered a season-ending cruciate ligament injury in September.

Possible starting lineup

Le Havre possible starting lineup:

Desmas; Kinkoue, Lloris, Salmier; Toure, Nego, Ndiaye, Targhalline, Zouaoui; Kechta, Ayew

Reims possible starting lineup:

Diouf; Kipre, Okumu, Agbadou, Akieme; Kone, Edoa, Fofana; Ito, Nakamura, Diakite