Bordeaux host Le Havre in quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue on Wednesday night. Le Havre are the only Ligue 2 team left in the competition and Bordeaux will be licking their lips with the semi-finals in sight. However, Bordeaux must play well against the plucky division two club.
Le Havre are currently 10th in Ligue 2, but sit five points off of third place. The team has a game in hand due to its Coupe de la Ligue exploits and could fight for promotion. Bordeaux, on the other hand, have struggled to make an impact in Ligue 1. They sit in 12th place and just six points above the relegation zone. Due to form and both teams’ overall play, Le Havre should be the side feeling more confident heading into the game.
The good news for Bordeaux is they have gone undefeated in three of their last four Ligue 1 games. Two of which have ended in wins and there is the very real chance Bordeaux will ease up the table. They average 1.2 goals per game, but goals have been quite difficult to come by for the most part.
Bordeaux have scored just 20 times in Ligue 1 with Francois Kamano leading the way with eight goals. Bordeaux entered the Coupe de la Ligue in the previous round and picked up a 1-0 win over Dijon. Toma Basic’s 66th minute goal was enough to see them into the quarter-finals.
Le Havre won’t be a pushover. The club, which produced Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez, has played in each round of the league cup so far. In the second round, Le Havre eked past Brest thanks to penalties after the two sides finished in a 3-3 draw. They went on to beat Troyes 2-0, before upsetting Ligue 1 club Nimes, 2-1, in the round of 16. Le Havre are not a team to take lightly, but they have yet to come up against a team with the talent that Bordeaux possess.
Bordeaux are the bookies’ favourite to win and progress to the final four. Playing at home will benefit the team as they continue to improve from a lacklustre first half of the season. Bordeaux possess a zero-goal difference in Ligue 1, while Le Havre’s Ligue 2 goal difference is just +3. Wednesday night’s quarter-final will be short on goals between the two French clubs.
However, Bordeaux will find the back of the net and end Le Havre’s Cinderella run in the league cup. Bordeaux will win and fewer than 2.5 goals will be scored.