Stade Laval (home)
- Laval, who sit 17th in Ligue 2 with 16 points from 21 games, face an uphill task on Friday to avoid another defeat at home to Annecy FC, who occupy 8th place with 31 points from the same number of fixtures.
- Laval are winless in their last 5 Ligue 2 matches (D2, L3).
- They are struggling this season, however, and have shown little evidence of being able to break their poor run of form.
Annecy (away)
- Annecy have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 1 of their last 5 league games, keeping clean sheets in their last 2.
- Annecy travel north with the edge in the recent head-to-head record, having won three of the last four Ligue 2 matches between the clubs, including a 3-0 away victory in April 2024.
- Annecy FC are the team in the better position to win on Friday and their 2.5 odds reflect that.
- Stade Laval are 3.0, while a draw would probably suit both clubs with 2.95 on offer.
- Laurent Guyot is one of the most interesting coaches in Ligue 2, setting up his compact teams to be very difficult to get at and making the best use of his club’s limited resources by over-performing year on year.
- He favours a 4-3-3 formation with a high press and lots of transition play, particularly down the flanks where he likes to win the ball and run at the opposition.
- But Clément Billemaz has been very reliable in recent weeks, supplying the assist to Thibault Rambaud’s goal in the draw with Grenoble.
Head-to-Head
Annecy have won three of their last four Ligue 2 meetings with Stade Laval, including a 3-0 away victory in April 2024.
Key Players
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Laval
- Malik Tchokounte has been Laval’s main outlet going forward this term and is a regular starter, while Mamadou Camara offers a goal threat from set pieces and recently converted from the spot against Le Mans.
- Ethan Clavreul provides some drive in the midfield and Thibaut Vargas has the ability to chip in with assists from full-back.
- Annecy
- But Clément Billemaz has been very reliable in recent weeks, supplying the assist to Thibault Rambaud’s goal in the draw with Grenoble.
Betting Insights
- Backing Annecy to take the win at 2.5 is a tempting bet here, given the home team’s current poor form and the visitors’ recent edge in the head-to-head.
- But we’ll play it safe with an Under 2.5 goals wager at 1.48, because Laval are winless in their last five and have struggled to score.
Prediction
- Back-to-back clean sheets and good form make Annecy the pick to edge this match in a low-scoring affair.
- Rainy and cool conditions at Stade Francis-Le Basser will certainly suit Annecy’s game plan, but it could also slow the tempo of the match, allowing the home side to stay compact.
- This has all the makings of a cagey game for the neutrals to enjoy.
