Preview: Auxerre vs Le Havre - prediction, team news, lineups

Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps will be the backdrop for an early-season six-pointer in the Ligue 1 relegation battle when Auxerre welcome Le Havre on Sunday.

AJA are looking for their first win in four games, while Le Club Doyen are hoping to bounce back from their defeat last time out.

Match preview

Christophe Pelissier's Auxerre finished 11th in the top flight in 2024-25 and would have been keen to build on their mid-table ranking, but they are currently too close to the relegation zone for comfort.

AJA kicked off this campaign with a 1-0 victory over Lorient on August 17, though they followed that up with three consecutive defeats and come into this weekend's clash having won just one of their seven most recent matches, losing five and drawing one.

Last Sunday, Pelissier's side earned a point in a 2-2 stalemate against European hopefuls, Rennes, first taking the lead through Danny Namaso with just eight minutes on the clock, before finding themselves 2-1 down in the second half and needing a penalty from Lassine Sinayoko to rescue the game.

That draw lifted Auxerre out of the division's relegation playoff spot and up to 15th, where their tally of seven points puts them one ahead of their opponents.

Sensing a golden opportunity to secure a rare win on Sunday, AJA will take heart from the fact that both of their triumphs in 2025-26 have come at Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps, not to mention that they have scored in all four of their home fixtures this season.

Meanwhile, Didier Digard's Le Havre escaped competing in 2024-25's relegation playoff by ending just one point above Reims, and they look set for another battle to avoid the drop this season.

Last weekend, Le Club Doyen were thrashed 6-2 by high-flying Marseille, and while the result was not unexpected, the manager will be disappointed as his team struck first only to have Gautier Lloris sent off, concede a penalty, and then crumble in the second half.

On the other hand, that game represented the first time Digard's men were beaten by more than two goals in 2025-26, and just the second time that their losing margin was more than a single goal.

In any case, the demotion-threatened club are now 16th in Ligue 1 with six points to their name, and only victory can see them climb out of the bottom three on Sunday.

With that in mind, fans may be concerned by the fact that the visitors have only won once in the top flight so far, as well as having seen them lose three of their four away games to date.

However, Le Havre will be confident of securing a positive result this time around considering that they put together a three-game unbeaten run prior to their defeat last time out, and come into this clash having lost just one of their last four overall as a result.

Auxerre Ligue 1 form:

Le Havre Ligue 1 form:

Team News

Auxerre will be without centre-backs Telli Siwe, who is sidelined until the new year with a knee injury, and Sinaly Diomande, who is dealing with a groin issue.

In their absence, Marvin Senaya, Francisco Sierralta and Clement Akpa should be on hand to start in a back three, flanked by wing-backs Josue Casimir and Gideon Mensah.

As for Le Havre, centre-back Gautier Lloris was sent off against Marseille last weekend and will subsequently be suspended for this game, but they will be glad to have left-back Thomas Delaine fit once again.

Mitigating for the loss of Lloris, expect to see the visitors' Etienne Youte Kinkoue line up alongside Arouna Sangante at the heart of defence, while Loic Nego and Yanis Zouaoui operate at full-back.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Digard mentioned that versatile attacker Reda Khadra is back in contention, though Fode Doucoure and Issa Soumare are likely to support Mbwana Samatta up top.

Auxerre possible starting lineup:

Leon; Casimir, Senaya, Sierralta, Akpa, Mensah; Osman, El Azzouzi, Danois, Namaso; Sinayoko

Le Havre possible starting lineup:

Diaw; Nego, Sangante, Kinkoue, Zouaoui; Ndiaye, Seko, Kechta; Doucoure, Samatta, Soumare