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Angers SCO will welcome FC Lorient to the Stade Raymond Kopa for a matchday 17 fixture in Ligue 1 on New Year's Day.
The hosts are coming off a 1-0 defeat at AC Ajaccio on Wednesday. Youcef Belaili's 40th-minute penalty proved to be the difference between the two sides.
Lorient, meanwhile, suffered a 2-0 loss to Montpellier at home. The visitors scored both goals in the first half, with Teji Savanier and Elye Wahi finding the back of the net for La Paillade.
The defeat saw the Brittany outfit drop to sixth spot in the standings, having garnered 28 points from 16 games. Angers remain rooted to the bottom on eight points and are six points away from safety.
Angers vs Lorient Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Lorient have 13 wins from their last 23 games against Angers. Angers have seven wins, while three games ended in a share of the spoils.
- One of those draws came in their most recent meeting, a goalless stalemate in January.
- Angers' defeat to fellow strugglers Ajaccio was a club-record eighth successive top-flight loss.
- Lorient are unbeaten in their last five away games, winning three, and have the third best away record in the league this term, behind PSG and Monaco.
- Angers have the worst defensive record in the division, having conceded 35 goals in 16 games.
- Seven of Angers' nine league goals at home have come in the second half.
- The last six head-to-head games have seen one team keep a clean sheet, with each game failing to produce up to three goals.
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Angers vs Lorient Prediction
Lorient have arguably been the revelation of the Ligue 1 campaign so far, but they have struggled to match their bright start in recent weeks. Nevertheless, they remain in the hunt for European qualification, and a trip to the basement side offers them a chance to return to winning ways.
Angers, meanwhile, have been poor throughout the campaign, and even a change in manager could not stop them from slumping to an eighth straight defeat.
Games involving the two sides tend to be cagey affairs, so another low-scoring game in an eventual Lorient victory could ensue.
Prediction: Angers 0-1 Lorient
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Angers vs Lorient Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Lorient to win
Tip 2 - Both teams to score: No
Tip 3 - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 4 - Highest scoring half: Second half
