Le Havre and Lens are bound to meet in the second round of the new Ligue 1 season on Sunday, 24 August.
With both teams entering this match after losing in the opening round, who will get the three points to get the new season underway better?
Find that out and more from our Le Havre vs Lens prediction, but remember to check out some of our other Ligue 1 predictions as well.
Contents
Le Havre vs Lens prediction: Plenty of goals expected
Key Stats
- Lens have gone over 2.5 total goals in six of their last eight matches, including pre-season friendlies.
- Both teams enter this match after losing in the first round of the new Ligue 1 season.
- Four of the last seven meetings between these two teams have ended in draws.
Correct score prediction: Le Havre 2-2 Lens
Both Le Havre and Lens have struggled in the opening round of this Ligue 1 season, so they'll both be hoping for a good result in this match.
With that in mind, we wouldn't be surprised to see this match end in a draw, which has happened often in recent duels between Le Havre and Lens. In fact, twice in their last seven games we even saw the final score be 2-2.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Lens the more likely winners
- HOME: 27/10 (3.70) – 27.00%
- DRAW: 13/5 (3.60) – 27.80%
- AWAY: 19/20 (1.95) – 51.30%
*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
We can see from these Le Havre vs Lens odds that the guests are the expected winners, although not by a huge margin.
Still, this was a bit surprising to see since Lens haven't really started the new season better than Le Havre, who will also have the home-court advantage as well.
In any case, if you liked our predictions for this game, remember to also check our betting tips for today.
Most recent H2Hs: Small advantage for Lens
In the last five meetings between these two teams, Lens have won twice, Le Havre once, and a couple of games have ended in draws. Meanwhile, Lens have a more significant advantage when it comes to their overall H2H record: 38-27-26.
France Ligue 1 01/03/25
Lens
Le Havre
France Ligue 1 12/01/25
Le Havre
Lens
France Ligue 1 06/04/24
Lens
Le Havre
France Ligue 1 20/10/23
Le Havre
Lens
Europe Friendlies 17/12/22
Lens
Le Havre
Le Havre preview: Hoping for a win at home
While Le Havre haven't been that bad in the opening round of the new Ligue 1 season, they did lose 3-1 to Monaco away from home. Given that last season Le Havre barely avoided relegation and that they failed to win a game during the summer pre-season matches, they really need a good result against Lens for a boost of confidence.
Meanwhile, Younes Namli, Arouna Sangante, Thomas Delaine, and Abdoulaye Toure are all on Le Havre's injury list, although they are all listed as doubtful and haven't yet been ruled out for sure.
Predicted lineup: Diaw (GK), Nego, Seko, Lloris, Zouaoui, Namli, Ebonog, Kinkoue, Ndiaye, Kechta & Soumare
France Ligue 1 10/05/25
L
Marseille
3
Le Havre
1
France Ligue 1 04/05/25
W
Auxerre
1
Le Havre
2
France Ligue 1 26/04/25
D
Monaco
1
Le Havre
1
France Ligue 1 19/04/25
L
PSG
2
Le Havre
1
France Ligue 1 13/04/25
L
Rennes
5
Le Havre
1
Lens preview: Looking for their first points
Just like Le Havre, Lens also lost in the first round of the new Ligue 1 season, but their loss came at home against Lyon. Lens were a mid-table team last season and they enter this season with similar expectations, especially after a solid pre-season in which they only lost once in seven games.
When it comes to team news, Andy Diouf just left the team to join Inter Milan, but Lens have a full squad at their disposal otherwise.
Predicted lineup: Risser (GK), Baidoo, Sarr, Udol, Aguilar, Bulatovic, Thomasson, Machado, Thauvin, Fofana & Guilavogui
France Ligue 1 10/05/25
D
Toulouse
1
Lens
1
France Ligue 1 04/05/25
W
Lyon
1
Lens
2
France Ligue 1 27/04/25
L
Auxerre
4
Lens
0
France Ligue 1 20/04/25
W
Brest
1
Lens
3
France Ligue 1 11/04/25
L
Reims
2
Lens
0
Player to watch: Issa Soumare
The 24-year-old forward from Senegal came to Le Havre in 2023, but he only played in seven games for them that season and spent the second part of it on loan at Auxerre, failing to score a single goal that entire season.
However, Soumare picked things up last season and proved he has the quality for Ligue 1, helping Le Havre in their battle against relegation with five goals and four assists. So, he'll hope to once again improve on his performances this time around.