H2H: Angers vs. Nimes – Prediction (Ligue 1

Preview and Teams Comparison.

Angers lost their two Ligue 1 games against Nîmes last season (3-4 at home in August 2018 and 1-3 away from home in January 2019), shipping seven goals in the process, more than they conceded versus any other team in 2018/19.

A goalless draw away to Reims in Angers’ last Ligue 1 (L1) outing bore some significance, with that result making it four straight league games featuring under 1.5 goals. However, ‘Les Scoïstes’ will take confidence from the fact they kept a clean sheet in each of the last three. Angers’ top league scorer Rachid Alioui has netted each of his four L1 strikes after the hour mark. If they don’t concede against Nîmes in this encounter, it will be the first time since November-December 2015 that any Angers side has registered a clean sheet in four successive L1 games. Notably, five of the hosts’ six L1 wins this campaign have been achieved with at least a -1 handicap.

Angers won the three L1 home fixtures in which they were leading at half-time. Nîmes are yet to score a goal in the opening 30 minutes of any away game this L1 campaign. At all venues, each of the previous six competitive H2Hs produced over 2.5 goals.

For their part, Nîmes travel to Stade Raymond-Kopa after claiming only one win across their last 14 away fixtures in the top-flight (W1, D5, L8), and the fact that they’ve failed to score in three of their last five away will surely concern coach Bernard Blaquart. Nîmes’ joint-top scorer Kévin Denkey has also netted each of his three league strikes from the 61st minute onwards. ‘Les Crocodiles’ have a habit of conceding first on the road, doing so in 13 of their previous 17 L1 away fixtures, returning a record of D4, L9, thereafter. However, if they find a return to winning ways here, it will likely be an entertaining game as five of Nîmes’ last six L1 away victories have featured over 2.5 goals.