Preview: Lorient vs. Ajaccio - prediction, team news, lineups

Ligue 1 continues this weekend as Lorient host relegation-threatened Ajaccio at Stade Yves Allainmat on Sunday afternoon, with both sides looking to bounce back from losses last time out.

Lorient's winless run in all competitions extended to four games with a defeat at Nantes, whereas Ajaccio were well-beaten at Nice in their last fixture.

Match preview

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Lorient have struggled since the start of February in Ligue 1 and Coupe de France, with Regis Le Bris's side yet to earn maximum points this month - a poor run which has likely been caused by some significant outgoings in January.

Twelve-goal striker Terem Moffi made a deadline-day switch to French rivals Nice, and Dango Ouattara made the move to the South Coast of England to link up with Premier League Bournemouth.

That pair of departures meant Lorient lost two players who had 23 goal contributions between them in Ligue 1 before their transfers, a figure which really highlights their importance to the team's attacking unit.

Le Bris's men will continue to push for European football next season, with Les Merlus currently eighth in the league standings, five points behind fifth-placed Lille heading into this weekend.

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Ajaccio will travel to Lorient on Sunday knowing that they desperately require points to maintain their first-tier status, with regular wins being a rarity for the side so far this campaign.

A 2-1 win against bottom-side Angers at the start of February was absolutely imperative in giving Olivier Pantaloni's team a fighting chance of escaping the relegation zone, but back-to-back defeats versus Nantes and Nice since have reaffirmed the difficulty Ajaccio face in staying up.

A first-half goal from Dante and a second-half brace from Algerian Billal Brahimi sentenced Pantaloni's men to a 3-0 defeat at Allianz Riviera last Friday, a result which extended their run without a clean sheet to a concerning nine matches.

The last time Ajaccio managed to defeat a Ligue 1 counterpart other than Angers was all the way back on Bonfire Night in November, when the Bears were 4-2 victors over Strasbourg.

Team News

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Lorient will remain without the services of Yvon Mvogo for the visit of Ajaccio this weekend, with the 28-year-old goalkeeper continuing his rehabilitation from a tendon injury suffered against Paris Saint-Germain in November.

Bonke Innocent is currently out with a thigh injury and is expected to be back in action at the start of March, although centre-back Julien Laporte is set to be sidelined until at least April with a knee injury.

Ajaccio have a pair of suspensions to deal with this Sunday as Ismael Diallo and Mounaim El Idrissy will both be serving bans due to red cards picked up over the recent games.

Central midfielder Thomas Mangani was forced off against Angers at the start of the month and is not expected back from his rib injury for at least another week.

Lorient possible starting lineup:

Mannone; Kalulu, Meite, Talbi, Yongwa; Le Fee, Makengo, Diarra, Ponceau, Cathline; Kone

Ajaccio possible starting lineup:

Leroy; Youssouf, Gonzalez, Avinel, Alphonse; Vidal, Bayala, Chabrolle, Barreto, Nouri; El Idrissy

We say: Lorient 1-0 Ajaccio

Lorient have struggled since losing some key players in the January transfer window, but a home fixture against a struggling Ajaccio is a good opportunity to change their February fortunes.

The Bears will have one eye on a crucial clash with Troyes next weekend, with a trip to Lorient a challenging fixture which we believe they will return to Ajaccio with nothing from.

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