Ligue 2 preview: Can Pau edge out victory against Niort?

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Competition: France Ligue 2
Competition: Sat 07.May
Match begins: 17:00 (UTC)
Venue: Stade Du Hameau Idron 1 (13970 seats)

Pau are set for a new test after their 2-1 vs Quevilly Rouen in the previous match. Niort are coming to town!

Insights:
  • Pau have the fewest scored goals in the first half (10) in Ligue 2
  • Niort have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.

Pau are staying put; they can neither be promoted or relegated this season and are fighting only for positions. Niort is no longer fighting for a cause; they can neither go up or down this season.

We should expect both teams to be fresh and ready for this match, as there is some time since both teams last played. Let's have a look at how the teams are doing!

W L L L L

Pau form and stats

The story so far in the Ligue 2 for Pau at their home stadium (Stade Du Hameau Idron 1) is 10 wins, 1 draw and 7 defeats. The Pau manager Tholot might feel some added pressure to get something from this game after two straight home defeats.

A good away victory last time out for Pau, who won 2-1 against Quevilly Rouen (placed 18th). Defender Dembélé got the top score of the team in the match with a rating of 7.8/10. Dembélé won 7 of 10 duels.

Preceding that match was a defeat to Sochaux (0-1).

The hosts are modest favourites in this match, with the bookmakers estimating the chance of a home win at about 50% +- five percent. It's interesting to look at how Pau have performed under similar circumstances, so here are some numbers: When modest favourites like this (we found five games) they have won three times, drawn one and lost one.

Pau are certainly not overdoing their scoring at home in league matches, having created 23 goals in 18 games.

L L D W D

Niort form and stats

The story so far for the visiting team on their Ligue 2 travels is 5 wins, 4 draws and 9 defeats.

Niort's previous game was their home loss versus Dijon (1-3). Niort goalkeeper Michel was glad for a top-notch day vs Dijon, but in spite of making seven saves the defeat could not be avoided.

Prior to that match, the Niort manager Desabre faced defeat when travelling to Toulouse and losing 0-2.

Niort are the outsiders in this one, but not by much. Their performance in similar games (being the away team and moderate outsiders) is three wins, three draws and five defeats. From a total of eleven matches.

The visitors have scored 16 goals from 18 away games in the league, an average of less than one per game. 23 goals have been conceded by Niort in these games.

Head 2 Head

This was the final score when the participants played each other earlier this campaign; Niort - Pau 3-0. Pau-Niort H2H statistics last eight meetings regardless of arena: Pau one win, Niort four wins, three draws. five of these eight matches had three or more goals (over 2,5).

Top Goalscorers

NiortI. Sissoko
I. Sissoko
10 goals
NiortB. Boutobba
B. Boutobba
6 goals
PauV. Lobry
V. Lobry
5 goals

Pau missing players

Niort missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Pau Niort
Total Home vs mid Statistics Stat vs mid Away Total
36 18 5 Played P 5 18 36
13 10 4 Won W 2 5 12
6 1 0 Drew D 1 4 9
17 7 1 Lost L 2 9 15
36 23 7 Scored S 8 16 36
45 18 5 Conceded C 8 23 38
97% 100% 100% Over 0.5 O 0.5 100% 89% 86%
67% 67% 80% Over 1.5 O 1.5 100% 72% 67%
44% 44% 60% Over 2.5 O 2.5 80% 39% 33%
11% 11% 0% Over 3.5 O 3.5 40% 17% 17%
6% 6% 0% Over 4.5 O 4.5 0% 0% 3%
44% 39% 40% BTTS BTTS 80% 33% 33%
25% 39% 40% Clean Sheets C S 20% 28% 36%
33% 22% 20% Failed to Score F T 0% 50% 44%
 
4 3.9 3.2 Corners for (avg) C F 1.6 3.4 3.5
4.6 3.6 4.4 Corners against (avg) C A 8.4 5.7 5.3
2.1 2.1 1.2 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 1.8 1.6 1.3
6 3 0 Red cards R C 0 0 1
 
8.6 10.6 10 Shots (avg) S ( 6.6 7.3 7.9
3.5 4.5 4.8 Shots on Target (avg) S O 3.4 3.2 3.1
29% 28% 29% Goal Efficiency G E 47% 28% 32%
 
10.4 9.5 11.6 Shots against (avg) S A 9.2 8.9 8.6
4.3 3.7 4.6 Shots on Target against (avg) S O 4 3.7 3.2
Key stats in Ligue 2 this season:
  • Niort have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.
  • Pau have the fewest scored goals in the first half (10) in Ligue 2
  • Pau haven’t played a single 0-0 game at home.

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Toulouse 35 22 10 3 80 30 18 13 4 1 50 13 17 9 6 2 30 17 50 76
2 Ajaccio 36 21 8 7 37 18 18 12 3 3 20 8 18 9 5 4 17 10 19 71
3 Auxerre 36 19 11 6 57 37 18 10 4 4 31 18 18 9 7 2 26 19 20 68
4 Sochaux 36 19 10 7 45 31 18 10 5 3 20 12 18 9 5 4 25 19 14 67
5 Paris 36 18 10 8 50 34 18 10 7 1 28 13 18 8 3 7 22 21 16 64
6 Guingamp 36 13 13 10 47 46 18 8 6 4 29 23 18 5 7 6 18 23 1 52
7 Le Havre 36 13 11 12 36 37 18 6 5 7 16 18 18 7 6 5 20 19 -1 50
8 Nimes 36 14 7 15 43 47 18 6 4 8 22 26 18 8 3 7 21 21 -4 49
9 Caen 36 12 11 13 49 40 18 8 3 7 28 18 18 4 8 6 21 22 9 47
10 Dijon 36 13 7 16 44 48 18 8 3 7 23 23 18 5 4 9 21 25 -4 46
11 Niort 36 12 9 15 36 38 18 7 5 6 20 15 18 5 4 9 16 23 -2 45
12 Pau 36 13 6 17 36 45 18 10 1 7 23 18 18 3 5 10 13 27 -9 45
13 Amiens SC 36 9 17 10 41 37 18 7 6 5 25 14 18 2 11 5 16 23 4 44
14 Bastia 36 9 16 11 36 35 18 5 12 1 19 11 18 4 4 10 17 24 1 43
15 Grenoble Foot 38 36 12 7 17 31 41 18 7 4 7 20 20 18 5 3 10 11 21 -10 43
16 Valenciennes 36 8 14 14 31 46 18 4 5 9 18 28 18 4 9 5 13 18 -15 38
17 Rodez 35 7 13 15 28 42 17 3 9 5 13 16 18 4 4 10 15 26 -14 34
18 Quevilly Rouen 35 8 10 17 27 47 18 4 7 7 15 21 17 4 3 10 12 26 -20 34
19 Dunkerque 36 8 7 21 26 47 18 5 6 7 13 18 18 3 1 14 13 29 -21 31
20 Nancy 35 5 9 21 27 61 17 4 4 9 14 27 18 1 5 12 13 34 -34 24

Table
  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Toulouse 35 22 10 3 80 30 18 13 4 1 50 13 17 9 6 2 30 17 50 76
2 Ajaccio 36 21 8 7 37 18 18 12 3 3 20 8 18 9 5 4 17 10 19 71
3 Auxerre 36 19 11 6 57 37 18 10 4 4 31 18 18 9 7 2 26 19 20 68
4 Sochaux 36 19 10 7 45 31 18 10 5 3 20 12 18 9 5 4 25 19 14 67
5 Paris 36 18 10 8 50 34 18 10 7 1 28 13 18 8 3 7 22 21 16 64
6 Guingamp 36 13 13 10 47 46 18 8 6 4 29 23 18 5 7 6 18 23 1 52
7 Le Havre 36 13 11 12 36 37 18 6 5 7 16 18 18 7 6 5 20 19 -1 50
8 Nimes 36 14 7 15 43 47 18 6 4 8 22 26 18 8 3 7 21 21 -4 49
9 Caen 36 12 11 13 49 40 18 8 3 7 28 18 18 4 8 6 21 22 9 47
10 Dijon 36 13 7 16 44 48 18 8 3 7 23 23 18 5 4 9 21 25 -4 46
11 Niort 36 12 9 15 36 38 18 7 5 6 20 15 18 5 4 9 16 23 -2 45
12 Pau 36 13 6 17 36 45 18 10 1 7 23 18 18 3 5 10 13 27 -9 45
13 Amiens SC 36 9 17 10 41 37 18 7 6 5 25 14 18 2 11 5 16 23 4 44
14 Bastia 36 9 16 11 36 35 18 5 12 1 19 11 18 4 4 10 17 24 1 43
15 Grenoble Foot 38 36 12 7 17 31 41 18 7 4 7 20 20 18 5 3 10 11 21 -10 43
16 Valenciennes 36 8 14 14 31 46 18 4 5 9 18 28 18 4 9 5 13 18 -15 38
17 Rodez 35 7 13 15 28 42 17 3 9 5 13 16 18 4 4 10 15 26 -14 34
18 Quevilly Rouen 35 8 10 17 27 47 18 4 7 7 15 21 17 4 3 10 12 26 -20 34
19 Dunkerque 36 8 7 21 26 47 18 5 6 7 13 18 18 3 1 14 13 29 -21 31
20 Nancy 35 5 9 21 27 61 17 4 4 9 14 27 18 1 5 12 13 34 -34 24

More from France - Ligue 2

Read more about Ligue 2

Ligue 2 is the second highest division in French football. Most games are played at Fridays and Mondays, allowing the top league Ligue 1 “ownership” of the weekend days. 20 teams play 380 fixtures in total, creating a league table where the top three teams promote and the bottom three relegate.