Clermont Foot 63 vs Ajaccio Prediction: Another match with few goals

Clermont will host Ajaccio in a Ligue 1 encounter at the Stade Gabriel Montpied on Sunday, April 2.

Clermont-Ferrand is currently 13th in the standings, and with 34 points, they look to be secure and should be set for their third straight season in the top flight next season.

Meanwhile, Ajaccio remains in 19th position. They are, however, only three points away from safety, so they will be ready to fight for every point they can get in the final run of this season. As both teams are struggling in the final third, a low-scoring match with under 2.5 goals is expected. 

Clermont comes into the encounter on the heels of two straight defeats, having been thrashed 4-0 by Lens before falling 2-1 at Montpellier prior to the international break. As a result, Pascal Gastien's team has now lost five of their last seven Ligue 1 games, including three consecutive 2-0 defeats to Monaco, Marseille, and Rennes in February.

Worse, Clermont has only won one of their previous nine league games, drawing three and losing five, so they will be desperate to win this weekend.

Les Lanciers have also won just one of their last nine home games and have failed to win any of their previous five encounters at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied, scooping up just two points out of a possible 15.

Although Clermont can take comfort from the fact that Ajaccio is 13 points lower in the league, the hosts cannot afford to be complacent when the relegation battlers come to town.

Ajaccio returned to Ligue 1 after eight seasons in the second tier last season, but the Corsican club is poised for an immediate return to the second flight.

The Bears have lost 19 of their 28 league games this season while winning six and drawing three, and they are three points from safety with 10 games left.

If Ajaccio's records prior to the international break are any sign, the club's demise could come sooner rather than later, as they suffered six losses in seven matches while scoring only once.

Looking at the big picture, ACA has lost 10 of their previous 12 games while hitting nine blanks, so it's no surprise that Olivier Pantaloni's players are the division's lowest scorers.

Pantaloni has been in charge of Ajaccio since 2014, after making over 100 starts for the club as a player, but the long-standing relationship could come to an end if the 56-year-old is unable to keep ACA in Ligue 1.

Given the lack of goals between these two sides, a high-scoring match is unlikely.

Clermont will have little to play for in this match now that they appear to be secure, so Ajaccio will be expecting to pick up at least one crucial point. However, their attack is so straightforward that it's difficult to see them scoring many goals.

Given Clermont's recent volatility, a stalemate appears to be the most probable outcome here.

• Under 2.5 goals for 1.72 odds (1xbet)
• X for 3.28 odds (Coinplay);
• No BTTS for 1.53 odds (bet365)