Oh, this is going to be as spicy as a jalapeno wrapped in a ghost pepper on a Texas hot day. The reptilian Stade de Reims are taking on the versatile Montpellier. Both teams have a decent set of goalkeepers, with Dimitry Bertaud and Benjamin Lecomte waving the flag for Montpellier. They have ratings of 7.15 and 6.30 respectively, which might be decent numbers in a backyard tiki-taka game but this is Ligue 1, gentlemen. On the other corner, Yehvann Diouf from Stade de Reims is showing some serious moves with a rating of 7.07 and 10 solid saves.
On the player's front, Montpellier are fielding some major firepower with Teji Savanier and Akor Adams, players who've showed impeccable form recently. Modibo Sagnan isn't far behind either, with an impressive pass accuracy of 92.2%. When we look at the Stade de Reims, the story is somewhat different. The likes of Junya Ito and Keito Nakamura don't just have cool names, they've got the numbers to back it up. Nakamura in particular has been brilliant with three goals from his last few games.
When it comes to past matchups, it's been a roller coaster ride. The most recent face-off saw a close victory for Montpellier, but historically, Stade de Reims had their own moments of glory, like the time they handed Montpellier a 3-1 defeat.
Dive into the regular season records and there's a stark difference. Montpellier's got a wincing 1-1-4 record whereas Stade de Reims, with a slightly smug 3-2-1, look like they've been sipping champagne at the victory press conferences.
Now if recent form was a love letter, Montpellier's would be a tale of heartbreak. A rather distressing string of losses have left them slightly weather-beaten. Stade de Reims on the other hand, have been frolicking in the fields of victory with a smattering of draws to keep things interesting.
So, taking all of this into account, I'm putting my money on the Stade de Reims here. Not because I've got a secret love for champagne, but because the odds, form and even the football gods seem to be in their favor.
Albert's Prediction: Stade de Reims by 1