Nantes vs Le Havre – News and Probable Lineups

On Sunday, FC Nantes will welcome Le Havre AC to the Stade de la Beaujoire-Louis Fonteneau for a Ligue 1 matchup, where the home team is eager to end a troubling drop in form.

While the visitors seem fairly secure in mid-table, Le Club Doyen will be wary of teams closing in, as they are only nine points above the relegation zone.

Match overview

FC Nantes finds themselves in grave danger of relegating to Ligue 2 for the first time since their promotion in 2012–13. They have not secured a victory in their last five Ligue 1 matches, leaving them eight points away from safety and in a precarious position concerning relegation.

Their recent 3-1 loss to 10-man AS Mônaco marked their fifth consecutive defeat in the top tier, the worst run they’ve had in a decade, and they have already equaled their longest losing streak of the 2024–25 season with four straight losses.

La Maison Jaune’s last league victory came in early January when they won 2-0 against Olympique de Marseille, which remains their sole success since October 29, 2026, during a bleak stretch of 13 matches that saw them lose 10 times and draw twice.

Under the guidance of Ahmed Kantari, Nantes has now amassed just three league wins this season, alongside five draws and 14 defeats, totaling a paltry 14 points. Their home performances have been similarly alarming, with only one win and three draws, and they haven’t tasted victory at Stade de la Beaujoire since a 1-0 win versus AJ Auxerre at the end of August.

From a defensive standpoint, Les Canaris have conceded 40 goals, which is the shared second-worst tally in the league alongside OGC Nice, with only bottom-placed FC Metz faring worse. Meanwhile, their attack has been blunt, netting just 20 goals—only the 16th-placed Auxerre has fewer with 17.

Nevertheless, facing Le Havre might provide an opportunity, as Nantes holds a historical advantage in this matchup, having won 19 times, drawn 13, and lost 12 from their past 44 encounters.

In contrast, Le Havre has had a more positive season and approaches Sunday’s match in 13th place in the standings, having distanced themselves from the relegation zone with a streak of solid performances under head coach Didier Digard.

Le Club Doyen achieved back-to-back wins for the first time since October, emerging victorious over Toulouse FC 2-1 last weekend, even after being reduced to 10 men in just the second minute following a narrow win against RC Strasbourg by the same score a week prior.

During the win against Toulouse, captain Arouna Sangante received a red card after his initial yellow was upgraded for a challenge on Brazilian forward Emersonn, yet his team showcased their resilience to secure all three points.

Over their last six fixtures, Le Havre recorded three wins, two draws, and two losses. Overall this season, they have achieved six victories, eight draws, and eight losses; however, their away form remains troubling, with only one win—a 1-0 victory at Auxerre in October—along with three draws and 10 defeats on their travels.

Despite the difficulties away from home this season, they have recently found success in this fixture, remaining unbeaten in their last three meetings, which included victories both home and away last season.

Team News

Midfielder Mohamed Kaba had to be substituted against AS Mônaco due to a suspected injury, making way for Johann Lepenant.

Mauritânia international Bahmed Deuff is still out with an injury, while Deiver Machado continues his recovery from a hamstring issue.

Le Havre will be missing Sangante, who was sent off after his initial yellow card was upgraded to red for a challenge on Emersonn—he is set to begin a three-match ban this weekend.

Defensive issues persist as Stephan Zagadou was taken off in the 84th minute of the win against Toulouse due to injury, while goalkeeper Mory Diaw was replaced at half-time by Lionel M’Pasi for the remainder of the match.

Ayumu Seko (rib), Abdoulaye Toure (knee), and Reda Khadra (shoulder) are all doubts ahead of Sunday’s kickoff, and Simon Ebong, Ally Samatta, and Yanis Zouaoui each need to be cautious as they are one booking away from suspensions.

Nantes probable starting XI:

Lopes; Sylla, Awaziem, Youssuf; Centonze, Coquelin, Lepenant, Machado; Tabibou, Cabella, Abline

Le Havre probable starting XI:

M’Pasi; Nego, Sangante, Lloris, Koffi; Gourna-Douath, Ebong, Ndiaye; Zouaoui, Soumare, Boufal

This contest is anticipated to be a closely contested affair, with both teams likely to employ a cautious strategy to avoid conceding goals easily, although a pivotal moment could still decide the match, despite the stalemate in their previous encounter.

With Kantari keen to break the cycle of five consecutive losses, Nantes may view this game as a chance to improve their fortunes, potentially managing to secure a rare win on Sunday, thereby bolstering their chances of moving closer to the relegation playoff position.