Lorient vs. Le Havre – News and Probable Lineups

In a critical battle to dodge relegation as the season concludes, Le Havre will visit Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday afternoon.

Les Ciel et Marine are experiencing a difficult winless run following their loss to Marseille in their previous match, while Les Merlus are eager to build on a convincing win against Metz.

Match overview

In their last two encounters against reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain and Metz, the hosts Lorient have managed to gather a commendable four points, finishing the season on a positive note.

Olivier Pantaloni’s side netted three goals in the final 10 minutes during their recent top-flight fixture at Metz, sealing a commanding 4-0 victory, while Benoit Tavenot’s team struggled to keep up.

Having lost only once in their last four Ligue 1 matches (W2 D1), Lorient currently holds ninth place in the standings, sitting one point ahead of 10th-placed Toulouse before the season’s final fixtures.

At the forefront of the attack for Les Merlus, Bamba Dieng and Pablo Pagis have both surpassed ten goals this season, vying for the club’s Golden Boot honors.

After consecutive finishes in 15th place following their promotion from the second division in 2023, Le Havre finds themselves once again in a relegation battle, needing to secure their spot in this league on Sunday.

Les Ciel et Marine’s winless streak in Ligue 1 reached 11 matches (D6 L5) last Sunday when a lone goal from Mason Greenwood delivered the maximum points to Marseille.

Having last savored victory at home over Toulouse on February 15, Le Havre has dropped to 14th in the Ligue 1 standings, now just one point above 16th-placed Nice ahead of the last round of fixtures.

Still waiting for an away win since their match against fellow relegation rivals Auxerre in late October, Les Ciel et Marine are hoping to achieve something they have never done before this weekend – triumph at Stade du Moustoir.

Team News

Lorient will be without Theo Le Bris, who has been out of action since April due to a hamstring injury.

Les Merlus also have to cope without the skill of Bamo Meite, who is dealing with a persistent groin injury.

As a backup in defense, Darlin Yongwa (heel) is unlikely to participate in the last match of the season.

Le Havre has two players suspended for Sunday’s encounter: Ayumu Seko and Lucas Gourna-Douath.

Abdoulaye Toure (knee), who last played at the end of November against PSG, is gearing up for a return during pre-season.

Lorient probable starting XI:

Mvogo; Adjei, Talby, Faye; Katseris, Cadiou, Abergel, Kouassi; Makengo, Karim, Tosin

Le Havre probable starting XI:

Diao; Blood, Lloris, Pembele, Zouaoui; Ndiaye, Ebonog, Doucoure, Boufal, Soumare; Samatta

In their pursuit of a top-half finish, Lorient is unlikely to simply give in to relegation-threatened Le Havre this weekend.

Les Ciel et Marine might still survive even if they face another severe loss at Stade du Moustoir.