Following a 14-year absence from the French top flight, Le Havre return to Ligue 1 action on Sunday as they travel to the Stade de la Mosson to take on Montpellier HSC.
Le Havre gained promotion by winning the Ligue 2 title last term, while Montpellier experienced an indifferent 2022-23 campaign, finishing 12th after a mid-season managerial change.
Match preview
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It would not be unfair to say that Montpellier were one of the most inconsistent teams in Ligue 1 last season, as the Occitanie outfit finished the campaign with a record of 15 wins, five draws and 18 losses.
Although only eight teams picked up more victories than Montpellier last term, only the four relegated sides suffered more defeats, while Paris Saint-Germain were the only club to register fewer draws than MHSC.
Despite finishing in 12th place, La Paillade outscored the majority of the French top flight in 2022-23, netting 65 goals in 38 matches to finish behind PSG, Monaco, Rennes, Lens and Marseille in the scoring charts.
At the opposite end of the pitch, however, Montpellier struggled to keep the ball out of their own net, conceding 62 goals to give them the fifth-worst defensive record in the division.
Romain Pitau replaced Olivier Dall'Oglio as manager in October before Michel Der Zakarian took over in February, and the new boss will aim to hit the ground running this season after losing just four of his 16 games in charge last term.
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Le Havre, meanwhile, clinched the Ligue 2 title in style last season, losing just three of their 38 matches to finish three points clear of second-placed Metz and six points inside the automatic promotion spots.
Remarkably, Les Ciel et Marine suffered a solitary defeat across their first 34 league games before suffering back-to-back losses in May, but they ended up taking four points from their final two encounters to seal the title.
Better still, Luka Elsner's men let in a measly 19 goals in the league last term, conceding at a rate of just 0.5 goals per game, with goalkeepers Arthur Desmas and Mathieu Gorgelin keeping a whopping 21 clean sheets between them.
Following the highs of the title triumph, Le Havre were brought back down to earth in pre-season, kicking off their top-flight preparations with a couple of wins before swiftly suffering five successive defeats.
Having spent 14 straight seasons in Ligue 2 - suffering multiple playoff failures along the way - Les Ciel et Marine will be determined to make their mark on Ligue 1 and avoid an immediate return to the second tier.
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Team News
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Young forward Elye Wahi was the star of the show for Montpellier last season, chalking up 19 goals and six assists across all competitions, while captain Teji Savanier contributed 12 goals and four assists.
There are question marks over the availability of Wahi, but Savanier will likely offer attacking support to Wahbi Khazri on Sunday, alongside Mousa Al-Tamari and Khalil Fayad.
At the opposite end of the pitch, right-back Falaye Sacko looks set to make his competitive debut for MHSC this weekend after arriving from Vitoria de Guimaraes earlier this summer.
Like Montpellier, Le Havre have reported no injury problems ahead of the new season, meaning that both sides will be able to field their strongest starting XI on Sunday.
The visitors are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Samuel Grandsir, Nabil Alioui and Josue Casimir operating in the forward line, while Arthur Desmas will likely get the nod between the sticks.
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Lecomte; Sacko, Jullien, Kouyate, Sylla; Ferri, Chotard; Al-Tamari, Savanier, Fayad; Khazri
Le Havre possible starting lineup:
Desmas; El Hajjam, Sangante, Lloris, Operi; Targhalline, Kuzyaev, Soumare; Casimir, Alioui, Grandsir
We say: Montpellier HSC 1-1 Le Havre
It goes without saying that both Montpellier and Le Havre will be determined to hit the ground running in 2022-23, but we expect the teams to share the spoils at the Stade de la Mosson as the visitors look to announce themselves to Ligue 1.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
