Ligue 1 Prediction for 2023/24 Season: Daler Kuzyayev is Ready to Lead Le Havre

Daler Kuzyayev has finally found a position in Europe! The Russian midfielder had such a dream in previous years but failed to reach an agreement with clubs from the top-5 leagues. Therefore he prolonged his contract with Zenit. Now everything has worked out. His first foreign club is Le Havre from French Ligue 1. Let's see what we can expect from this curious cooperation.

What is the current Le Havre?

Le Havre's team was founded in 1894. For such a long history, they have never been among the top clubs in France, but in the season 1950/51, they still managed to win bronze medals in the national championship. They did much better in the second division, winning six times, including in the tournament's last edition, which allowed them to earn promotion. They have played in Ligue 1 only twice in the 21st century: in the 2002/23 and 2008/09 seasons. They climbed to the top division for only one year before being relegated back to Ligue 2.

The current head coach of Le Havre is Slovenian Luka Elsner, who should be able to find a common language with Daler Kuzyaev. At the same time, his squad does not look competitive for the Ligue 1 level yet. According to various reports, the Russian is now the club's most expensive player. His market value is estimated at €10 million, while the nearest pursuer is 21-year-old defender Arouna Sangante, who costs half as much. All other players are even more humble. Therefore in the next month, the management will need to look for options to strengthen the squad. Otherwise, the third run in Ligue 1 will be reduced to just one season.

Who is Daler Kuzyayev?

Daler Kuzyayev is already going to work abroad at 30, which is a problem. His desire to go to the European championship has been there for a long time, but he realized it only now, so the midfielder will have to get used to a new way of life already at such an age. There is no doubt that he is ready for these difficulties. Otherwise, Daler would have preferred another contract with Zenit. But after winning a lot of trophies, he still decided to move.

Kuzyayev has incredible efficiency, stamina, and versatility, which is especially appreciated in modern soccer. He can cover the entire flank, and focus on attack or defense, while his main position is the center of the field. At the same time, he has found new gifts in different seasons. For example, in his debut year for Zenit, Daler scored six goals, setting a personal record that still stands. In the 2021/22 season, he suddenly developed a talent as an assistant, making an interesting statistic of 0+7. In 26 games last season, he had five goals and four assists, finally becoming a true all-rounder.

Expert Betting Tips

Le Havre is a newcomer to the Ligue 1, so we don't expect a remarkable performance in their debut year. Looking at their current squad, they will have a tough fight for survival. Moreover, even in Ligue 2 last season, they were not very impressive, scoring only 46 goals in 38 games (1.21 on average), which is only ninth (!) in the entire tournament. With such a pragmatic style, the team's top scorer was forward Nabil Alioui, who had only six goals and three assists.

Now Le Havre will have to play in the elite, where the level of resistance will be higher, so even more, attention will have to be paid to the defense. Daler Kuzyaev will be actively involved in this process, so his statistics may have problems. He is the most expensive player on the team, who gained nine points last season. But all of that was in Zenit, which dominates the RPL. Now it's a different story. At the same time, he can prove himself in separate meetings with top opponents.

We offer to consider the next options:

• Goal Assists TU (2.5)
• TU (3.5)
• TO (0.5) against PSG