Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Stade de Reims by 1If it was raining today, I'd say grab your umbrellas folks, but it's not, so let's instead talk about the forthcoming French fracas featuring Stade de Reims and Le Havre.
Reims' last line of defense, Yehvann Diouf, with a rating of 6.70 along with 6 saves under his belt, has been a human shield between the sticks more often than not. Le Havre’s goalkeeper, Arthur Desmas is no slouch either with a 6.40 rating, but Diouf sure edges him out this time.
André Ayew shines like a diamond in a goat's rear on Le Havre's roster, boasting a 7.30 rating and a keen eye for the goal, recording 2 goals this season. Gautier Lloris is no bench-warmer either with a 7.05 rating, but with no goals to his name yet. However, this party has some party-poopers, and today, it's Abdoulaye Touré, who despite a decent 6.85 rating, is a no-show due to injury.
Looking at Stade de Reims, their marquee players Junya Ito, with a 7.15 rating and a single goal this season, and Amadou Kone, boasting a 7.10 rating, will not be lighting any fireworks today. Reason? The injury bug has got Kone, and he'll be watching the game from the sidelines.
Comparing past performance in their head-to-head bouts, Stade de Reims delivers a thumping three-nothing victory over Le Havre. The regular season records though don't spell any dominance, with Reims having 5 victories, 5 draws, and 7 losses and Le Havre managing a measly 4 victories in their kitty against 13 losses. Neither side can boast a much better recent record either, both leaking goals and leaving points on the table.
Well, if I had all your undivided attention and you followed my wandered thoughts until now, it seems quite apparent that Le Havre seems to be coming to this party with one hand tied behind their back, or in this case, one key player short. Stade de Reims isn't looking like a bunch of world-beaters either, but they've had the upper hand in recent clashes, and the scales seem to tilt in their favor at the moment. How much, you ask? Well, let's not get greedy, but let me put some numbers to these abstract ramblings.
Albert’s Prediction: Stade de Reims by 1