Racing d’Abidjan vs Lys Sassandra Prediction: League leaders will win

The Ivory Coast Ligue 1 resumes following the hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations, and one of Saturday's matches features Racing d’Abidjan hosting Lys Sassandra at Stade Robert Champroux. Both teams enter this encounter in strong form and aim to maintain their momentum. Let's delve into a comprehensive preview and provide analyzed betting opportunities.

Racing d’Abidjan is set to play their first match of the year, aiming to continue their impressive form from the previous year, where they secured a 0-1 victory against Mount on the road. The defensively focused match saw Mohamed Sylla breaking the deadlock in the 65th minute, securing all three points for Racing d’Abidjan. This win marked their third consecutive victory in the league, with previous encounters against ASI d’Abegourou and San Pedro ending in 2-1 and 4-0 wins, respectively. Notably, Racing d’Abidjan has only suffered one defeat in their last 15 league matches, which occurred against bottom-placed Bouake on the road.

In the league standings, Racing d’Abidjan holds a strong position at the top with 30 points, just one point ahead of their closest rival, AS Denguele.

Before the break last year, Lys Sassandra faced Sam Pedro on the road, securing a commendable draw in a match where they were considered underdogs. This result helped Lys Sassandra maintain an unbeaten streak of five consecutive matches, including victories against Bouake and Mouna. Their encounters with ASI d’Abengourou and Korhogo also concluded with identical 1-1 scores. As they prepare for the upcoming challenging away match against Racing d’Abidjan, Lys Sassandra will need to maintain a solid defense while keeping their potent offensive line active.

In the league, Lys Sassandra has accumulated 18 points from 15 matches, scoring 14 goals and conceding the same number, securing a 10th spot in the standings.

This is expected to be a challenging game, considering the historical performance of both teams, with both having reasonable chances of winning. Racing d’Abidjan appears to be the improved side in this fixture, having won the first leg on the road in the previous encounter. Despite this, Lys Sassandra comes into the game with an unbeaten run, indicating good form and the likelihood of performing well.

However, considering the league gap between Racing d’Abidjan and the second-placed Denguele, the hosts are likely to be highly motivated to secure all three crucial points.