Preview: Montpellier HSC vs. Strasbourg - prediction, team news, lineups

Montpellier HSC and Strasbourg meet at Stade de la Mosson in Ligue 1 action on Saturday afternoon in what should be a close encounter.

The sides both find themselves in the lower end of mid-table, but a win could easily take either team well into the top half if results go their way.

Match preview

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Montpellier have produced a mixed season to this point, with two wins, three draws and three defeats from their first eight games.

After losing their opening game of the new season at home to Marseille, they accumulated nine points from a possible 15, before suffering an understandable loss - their first in four games - away against Paris Saint-Germain last weekend.

Olivier Dall'Oglio's side made the title favourites work for their three points, though, with the game still in the balance until Julian Draxler secured a 2-0 win for his side in the 88th minute.

La Paillade would not have headed to the Parc des Princes with much hope of bringing anything away from the game - having lost by at least a four-goal margin in each of their last four league visits - but their latest loss does mean they are still yet to win away from home this season.

That is, of course, not an issue on this occasion as they welcome Strasbourg to a stadium at which the hosts have won three of their last five games.

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Strasbourg have been very much all or nothing in recent games, winning three and losing two of their last five.

Unfortunately for them, their game at the weekend proved to be the latter, as they lost 2-1 to Lille, despite the reigning champions' stuttering start to their title defence.

Coming into the game on a run of four games without a win in all competitions, Les Dogues found themselves two up by the hour mark, courtesy of a Jonathan David brace.

Ibrahima Sissoko reduced the arrears with a quarter of an hour remaining, but Julien Stephan's men were unable to turn the game around and, in fact, found themselves reduced to 10 men when Adrien Thomasson was sent off just four minutes after Sissoko's lifeline.

That is the second consecutive game in which Strasbourg have seen red, after Kevin Danso's high challenge on Anthony Caci in the game against Lens, and Stephan will now have to ensure that discipline does not become a chronic issue for his side.

Team News

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Montpellier centre-back Matheus Thuler is set to miss up to six weeks after being forced off at the weekend with a thigh injury, but there is some hope that Mamadou Sakho could return from a hamstring injury to fill that void.

Thibault Tamas, Pedro Mendes and Ambroise Oyongo are all long-term absences with ACL injuries, but Oyongo is nearing the end of his recovery.

Valere Germain will continue to lead the line, supported by Stephy Mavididi, Teji Savanier and Florent Mollet, in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

As for Strasbourg, Frederic Guilbert and Ludovic Ajorque look set to return to the starting XI after coming off the bench against Lille last weekend.

Majeed Waris also made a substitute appearance during that game but is not expected back in the starting XI just yet.

Thomasson starts a two-match ban this weekend for the aforementioned red card, meaning that Kevin Gameiro could play a withdrawn role in his absence.

Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:

Omlin; Sambia, Esteve, Sakho, Ristic; Ferri, Chotard; Mollet, Savanier, Mavididi, Germain

Strasbourg possible starting lineup:

Sels; Marchand, Djiku, Nyamsi; Lienard, Aholour, Prcic, Guilbert; Gameiro; Diallo, Ajorque

We say: Montpellier HSC 2-1 Strasbourg

As mentioned, both sides can blow hot and cold from week to week, which makes the game quite a difficult one to call. Montpellier have the better record in this fixture historically, however - winning four of the last five meetings - so we will back them to edge a closely fought game.