Lens vs Ajaccio Prediction: A two-goal margin win for the home team

When Lens hosts already-relegated Ajaccio at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Saturday night, they have a chance to clinch a top-two finish in the Ligue 1 standings for the 2022–23 campaign. Due to their victory against Lorient last weekend, Lens is on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League automatically, while their unfortunate opponents were destroyed by Rennes the last time around. Lens just needs one point to secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League the next year after third-placed Marseille's loss last week.

Lens has defeated the other team 25 times in different tournaments. In three games versus Ajaccio, Lens is unbeaten and has recorded two draws. In their past 10 league games, the hosts have won nine of them. In their last 11 league games, Ajaccio has lost nine of them. In their previous five home victories, Lens has outscored their opponents. In their previous seven away losses, Ajaccio has failed to score in five of those contests.

Due to the above stated reason, a win is anticipated for the home side. 

Haise, who many people are picking to win Manager of the Year, deserves all the praise and more for his part in Les Sang et Or's meteoric rise. His team is still in the title race going into the penultimate weekend.

Last weekend, Lorient took the lead thanks to a defensive blunder by Facundo Medina and Brice Samba from a throw-in, but Les Merlus' own defensive errors were made up for by Florian Sotoca, Adrien Thomasson, and Seko Fofana at the Stade du Moustoir, where Lens celebrated securing their place in the top three.

Lens' flimsy title hopes will be dashed if the champions return from Strasbourg with at least a point, but second place and an automatic spot in the Champions League group stages will be theirs with a win in front of their own supporters. They are currently six points behind Paris Saint-Germain but five ahead of Marseille.

Few teams on the continent can claim to have performed as brilliantly in front of their home fans as Lens did with their victory at Lorient, which recorded a ninth win from 10 games during a stunning end-of-season hot streak. Lens has only lost to champions-elect PSG during that period.

In fact, only Premier League champions Manchester City (52) can surpass Lens' 49-point total at home this season; few will anticipate Ajaccio to prevent Haise's men from reaching the fifty-point mark themselves this weekend. Haise's team has won each of their last five games at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis and has only lost five points there all season.

This weekend, Lens will welcome back defender Kevin Danso after serving a one-game suspension, but the visitors have already lost wing-back Przemyslaw Frankowski to suspension.

With knee injuries, Steven Fortes, Jimmy Cabot, and Wuilker Farinez are still in the medical area, but none of the three players is likely to push their way into Haise's established lineup given that the visiting manager only makes very few changes to his starting lineup each match.

Lens possible starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Samba

Defenders: Medina, Danso, Gradit

Midfielders: Sotoca, Fofana, Abdul Samed, Machado

Strikers: Fulgini, Thomasson; Openda

Ajaccio's relegation was secured with a 5-0 thrashing by PSG in game week 35 and a similar thrashing by Rennes last weekend. Ajaccio will soon be returning to the depths of the second division.

The 19th-placed Ajacciov will at least avoid Angers having the unwelcome distinction of finishing last in the top division, but they can only place as high as 18th because they are tied with Troyes in points, so it won't mean much to their disgruntled fans.

Ajaccio must play Marseille in game week 38, and the curtain cannot come down soon enough for Pantaloni's team whose tally of 22 goals is by far and away the worst record in the division. Ajaccio is now winless in 11 straight Ligue 1 matches and has failed to score in their last five games.

That Ajaccio failed to score in their match against Lens back in August, as well as the fact that Les Sang et Or did not play with their finest shooting boots against L'ours, will not come as a surprise. But few anticipate Pantaloni's back line to escape this weekend's match at Stade Bollaert-Delelis undamaged.

Alphonse and Thomas Mangani are both on suspension and will not be available. The coach of the away team will be unable to use any of Romain Hamouma, Yoann Touzghar, Mounaim El Idrissy, Ismael Diallo, or Youssouf Kone in addition to the two players who have been suspended. However, Francois-Joseph Sollacaro and Vincent Marchetti are now healthy, so things are not all bad.

Ajaccio possible starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Leroy

Defenders: Youssouf, Vidal, Gonzalez, Avinel

Midfielders: Bayala, Coutadeur, Barreto, Spadanuda

Strikers: Chegra, Soumano

The home team, who is the clear favourite, has only lost a point at home twice this season. They are now riding a five-game winning streak, and the pattern should hold. While Ajaccio has lost their previous seven away games and has not won in 11 league games. They have gone five games without scoring, and they are unlikely to break that streak today.

Given the two teams' contrasting styles, Lens ought to triumph and maintain a perfect record. Likely scoreline includes 2-0, 3-0, or 4-0.