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Nantes face off with Reims at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Ligue 1 on Sunday (April 2).
Nantes are 14th in the standings, and despite being just three places above the relegation zone, they seem safe enough for now. They're on 30 points, seven points clear of 17th place.
Reims, meanwhile, saw one of the longest unbeaten runs in Europe snapped last week against Marseille. Before that, they’d gone 19 games unbeaten and hadn’t lost since September 18. They sit in ninth place in the league table, and truthfully, have little to play for.
Nantes vs Reims Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Recent games between them have largely favoured Reims. They have won four of their last six games against Nantes, although they only have one win at the Stade Gabriel Montpied since 2014.
- Nantes’ recent form has been pretty shoddy. They have not won since February 12 and have collected just two points from a possible 15 in five ensuing games. However, they have only failed to score in one of those games, with all these games against some of Ligue 1’s best teams.
- Their loss to Marseille last weekend was the first defeat Reims suffered under young boss William Still, who remains unqualified and is only 30.
- Reims’ lengthy unbeaten run has seen a couple of their players climb up the lists of Ligue 1’s individual feats, with top scorer Folarin Balogun second to just two players with 17 goals and Alexis Flips’ six assists putting him joint fifth.
- Both sides have relatively solid defences. Nantes have conceded 37 goals, the fewest of any side in the bottom half, while only two sides – Nice (25) and Lens (21) – have conceded fewer than Reims (28).
Nantes vs Reims Prediction
This game pits two of Ligue 1’s stronger defensive sides against each other, meaning it could be a close one to call.
Nevertheless, Reims should bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing result against Marseille. They can still call upon one of the league’s most dangerous strikers in Folarin Balogun and have beaten Nantes once this season.
The hosts need points to ensure their survival, but with the Coupe de France semifinals coming up on Wednesday (April 5), they may be distracted – giving Reims the edge.
Prediction: Nantes 1-2 Reims
Nantes vs Reims Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result – Reims win
Tip 2: Folarin Balogun to score for Reims – Yes (Balogun has seven goals in his last nine games.)
Tip 3: Both teams to score – Yes (Nantes have drawn just one blank in their last seven games, while Reims have only failed to score in two of their last nine.)
