Saint Etienne vs Laval Prediction

Howzit boet! Grab a cold one and stoke the braai because we've got a proper mismatch in Ligue 2 this Saturday. Saint Etienne are hosting Laval, and if you ask me, this is like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight – and not the lekker kind you use for your boerewors either!

Saint Etienne are sitting pretty in 3rd spot with 40 points from 23 games, just two points off the top. These okes know how to win, and more importantly, they know how to win at home. In their last five matches at their own backyard, they've won three, drawn one, and lost one – scoring a healthy 3.00 goals per game while only letting in 0.80. That's tighter than my wallet after a night at the pub! Their recent form shows they're grinding out results too – beating Guingamp 2-1 away and Montpellier 1-0 at home. Sure, they slipped up against Boulogne (0-1) and Reims (0-1), but those were against decent sides, not the strugglers we're looking at here.

Now let's talk about Laval, or as I like to call them, "Laf-en-dal" (weak and falling). They're second from bottom with only 18 points and a miserable three wins all season. Their away record isn't completely terrible – they've won 33% of their last six on the road – but let's be honest, they've been about as consistent as a Springbok supporter during a losing streak. They've drawn their last two (2-2 vs Annecy, 1-1 at Le Mans) but before that they were losing to everyone including a 4-1 drubbing at Clermont. They're only managing 0.83 goals per game away from home, which won't cut the mustard against a side like St Etienne.

The head-to-head record favours the hosts too – Saint Etienne have won two of the last five meetings with Laval only managing one victory. The last time they met it was a 3-3 thriller, but that was back in August when Laval still had hope. Now they're just fighting to avoid the drop.

Looking at the stats, Saint Etienne dominate possession (59% vs 42%) and pepper the goal with nearly 13 shots per game compared to Laval's measly 6.9. It's going to be a long 90 minutes for the visitors, I reckon.

Key Points:

• Saint Etienne are 3rd in the table with 40 points, while Laval are 17th with just 18 points

• St Etienne have won 60% of their last 5 home games, scoring 3.00 goals per game on average

• Laval have only managed 3 wins all season and score just 0.83 goals per game away from home

• The hosts beat Montpellier 1-0 and Guingamp 2-1 in their last two outings

• Laval are winless in their last 5 league matches (3 draws, 2 losses)

Summary:

This one looks like a straightforward home win. Saint Etienne are pushing for promotion and have the quality to break down a Laval side that's been struggling for form all season. At 1.55, the odds aren't going to buy you a new braai, but it's a solid banker to build your weekend acca around. I'm backing the home win – lekker!