A place in the French top flight and a return to tier two football hang in the balance for Le Havre and Dijon respectively, when the two face each other on Friday's final day of the Ligue 2 campaign at Stade Oceane.
For the club from Normandy, a single point will be enough to earn them a promotion along with the league title, while Les Rouges can avoid relegation with a point and a loss by Laval and Rodez.
Match preview
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It has been over a decade since Le club doyen were in the top flight, and they will have to wait at least another match to see if they will indeed return to Ligue 1 for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign.
Luka Elsner's men looked to be cruising to the title until the middle of May, with Le Havre winless in their previous three league fixtures, coming back to earn a point the last time out versus Bastia (1-1).
Since the start of the campaign, they have been the toughest defensive unit in the league to break down, conceding the fewest goals so far (19), including 11 clean sheets at home.
In their last home outing, however, we saw a different Le Havre team than we are used to, as they conceded twice in the opening half to Valenciennes, suffering a 2-0 defeat, the first for them at Stade Oceane this season.
They have not lost a domestic fixture all season when scoring first, while Les Ciel et Marine have come from behind to win two matches despite conceding the opener.
Le Havre have captured just one of their last six Ligue 2 encounters versus Dijon but have only lost one of their last eight home fixtures against them, with that lone defeat coming in February 2016 (2-1).
Depending on how they fare along with the other results on Friday, Le Havre could make history one way or another, as a point would give them a record sixth title, which would be one more than Nancy, but if they lose and Bordeaux and Metz overtake them in the table, Le club doyen would surpass Troyes for the most points accumulated in a Ligue 2 campaign featuring 20 teams (72) without earning a promotion.
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With points in eight successive domestic encounters, Dijon have nearly saved themselves from relegation, but they still need another result and some help to get above that line.
Pascal Dupraz, known for performing miracles when it comes to avoiding relegation, has not lost since taking charge in early April, with his team showing tons of fight, claiming five points when facing a second-half deficit over that stretch, four of which came away from home.
They have lost three times over this domestic campaign when scoring the opening goal, a nine-point swing which could have been a massive boost.
Their overall form domestically has taken a huge dip over the past two campaigns, from being relegated out of Ligue 1 in 2020-21, then finishing middle of the Ligue 2 pack last season (11th) and now they cannot accumulate more than 45 points this season, which would still be two fewer than their previous total.
While 30 points currently separate them from Le Havre at the top of the table, Dijon have not been intimidated by the teams at the front of the pack, without a defeat against the top two Ligue 2 sides this season (Le Havre and Metz).
On the current campaign Dijon have lost eight away matches in the league by a single goal, conceding the winner five minutes from the end on four occasions.
For a side in relegation danger, Les Rouges have defended relatively well throughout the campaign, conceding fewer goals than anyone in the bottom half of the table (42), and posting nine clean sheets.
Team News
Abdelwahed Wahib missed the previous match for Le Havre because of a cruciate ligament rupture, while we saw three newcomers to the starting 11 versus Bastia as Etienne Youte Kinkoue, Amir Richardson and Elies Mahmoud replaced Arouna Sangante, Quentin Cornette and Nabil Alioui, who were all in the opening lineup in the defeat to Valenciennes.
Samuel Grandsir had the equalising goal for them in that draw versus Bastia, his second of the campaign, while goalkeeper Arthur Desmas started for a fourth successive time in place of Mathieu Gorgelin.
Cornette and Victor Lekhal, who are the joint top-goalscorers for the team this season alongside Alioui, both found the back of the net in their previous encounter at home versus Dijon, with former keeper Yahia Fofana maintaining a shutout on that occasion.
Thomas Roche will not be available for Les Rouges because of an unknown injury, while Dupraz added one new face to the opening lineup versus Paris FC as Marley Ake replaced Xande Silva in the midfield.
Loum Tchaouna and Jordan Marie each netted in their previous road fixture, which they won 2-1 over Nimes, the fourth straight time they had picked up at least a point away from home.
Baptiste Reynet has three clean sheets in his last four starts between the sticks versus Le Havre, with his previous victory against them coming at home a season ago when an own-goal from Jamal Thiare and one by Cheick Traore gave them a 2-0 triumph.
Le Havre possible starting lineup:
Desmas; Kongolo, Kinkoue, Lloris, Operi; Mbemba, Lekhal, Targhalline; Grandsir, Casimir, Cornette
Dijon possible starting lineup:
Reynet; Traore, Toure, Congre, Fofana; Thioune, Pi; Tchaouna, Soumare, Ake; Bihan
We say: Le Havre 1-1 Dijon
Over the past month or so, Le Havre have not been quite as sharp as we are used to seeing, so expect Dijon to take advantage of that early on, though we believe the league leaders will react well and eventually find a way to claim the title.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
