Valenciennes vs Pau match preview: Even contest expected at Stade du Hainaut

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Competition: France Ligue 2
Competition: Sat 13.May
Match begins: 17:00 (UTC)
Venue: Stade du Hainaut (24926 seats)

This is a vital shoot-out in the lower part of the Ligue 2, with both Valenciennes and Pau experiencing more worry than happiness. This game is a classic "six-pointer" with the home side placed 15th and the visitors in 14th position.

Insights:
  • Valenciennes have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
  • Pau have won significantly less corners away then at home.

It's time to recharge all electronic entertainment devices for Pau, who are travelling more than 900 kilometers to play this game.

This promises to be an engaging fixture with lots of fun and excitement as both squads are well refreshed since they last saw competitive action. Get this show on the road!

D L W D L

Valenciennes form and stats

When playing at home in the Ligue 2, Valenciennes have managed 5 wins, 10 draws and suffered 2 defeats from 17 games. When Valenciennes hosts teams that live in the bottom of the table (like Valenciennes, Niort, Annecy, Nîmes, Laval and Dijon), they have won 2 of 5 matches!

The Valenciennes coach Kantari and his crew return home after a 3-3 draw away versus Nîmes (placed 19th). As you can tell by the result above, the goals flowed freely in the previous game and the stadium rocked. Could there be another goal fest today? Midfield player Boutoutaou got a match rating of 8.01 in that game, the max score being 10. Boutoutaou scored two goals and dribled past the opponent 2 of 4 times.

Ahead of that match, Valenciennes lost 0-2 at home to Bordeaux.

The bookmakers consider this a fairly even contest. One could say only the home advantage separates the teams. It could be relevant to look at how Valenciennes have performed in matches similar to this (as small favourites). Our database has found 11 matches with the results: Won 5, drawn 5 and lost 1.

Valenciennes are certainly not overdoing their scoring at home in league matches, having created 25 goals in 17 games. Valenciennes have conceded 22 in these home matches.

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Pau form and stats

The story so far for the visiting team on their Ligue 2 travels is 5 wins, 4 draws and 8 defeats.

Pau's previous game was their home loss versus Quevilly Rouen (3-4). As you can tell from the result, the match against Quevilly Rouen was as crazy as a clown in a village circus. Great fun for the neutral supporter with 7 goals, will the fun continue today? Pau were so close to getting something from the game against Quevilly Rouen, but ended up with egg all over their face after conceding the deciding goal two minutes into overtime. Midfield player Beusnard was the top player of the team with a match rating of 7.6/10. Beusnard dribled past the opponent 3 of 3 times and had 36 successful passes (of 40 total).

It was a defeat before that one as the away game against Nîmes wasn't a success with a 2-3 loss.

So, this is expected to be a close game, an even contest. Looking at earlier matches with Pau playing away and similar expectations, we found 10 relevant matches. Results were 2 Pau wins, 1 draw and 7 defeats.

Both teams to score at least one goal each? This team's most recent statistics suggest that, having finished 5 league matches in a row with one or more goals from each side.

The attacking power of Pau when travelling is not overwhelming with 16 goals scored from 17 league matches away. 22 goals have been conceded by Pau in these games.

Head 2 Head

The squads have faced each other previously this season, with the result Pau - Valenciennes 1-0 written in the official records. Last five meetings between these teams: Valenciennes won two, Pau triumphed in two and we saw one draw. two games with more than 2,5 goals, three matches with less than 2,5 goals.

Top Goalscorers

ValenciennesA. Grbic
A. Grbic
7 goals
PauH. Saivet
H. Saivet
7 goals
PauY. Begraoui
Y. Begraoui
7 goals

Valenciennes missing players

Pau missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Valenciennes Pau
Total Home vs low Statistics Stat vs low Away Total
34 17 5 Played P 5 17 34
8 5 2 Won W 3 5 10
14 10 3 Drew D 0 4 10
12 2 0 Lost L 2 8 14
38 25 10 Scored S 7 16 33
46 22 7 Conceded C 5 22 43
88% 82% 80% Over 0.5 O 0.5 100% 100% 94%
65% 71% 80% Over 1.5 O 1.5 60% 65% 59%
41% 47% 80% Over 2.5 O 2.5 40% 29% 35%
29% 41% 80% Over 3.5 O 3.5 20% 18% 21%
9% 12% 20% Over 4.5 O 4.5 20% 12% 9%
53% 65% 80% BTTS BTTS 40% 47% 44%
26% 29% 20% Clean Sheets C S 60% 24% 26%
32% 24% 20% Failed to Score F T 0% 29% 35%
 
3.1 2.6 3.2 Corners for (avg) C F 5.2 3.4 4.1
5 4.9 4.2 Corners against (avg) C A 6.6 6.4 4.7
1.6 1.6 1.2 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 3.2 2.4 2
1 0 0 Red cards R C 0 0 0
 
8.3 8.2 11.2 Shots (avg) S ( 8.8 7.5 9.1
3.7 4.1 5.6 Shots on Target (avg) S O 2.8 2.9 3.5
30% 36% 36% Goal Efficiency G E 50% 32% 28%
 
12.2 12.5 11.8 Shots against (avg) S A 12 13.6 10.9
4.4 4.2 4.6 Shots on Target against (avg) S O 4.8 5.4 4.4
Key stats in Ligue 2 this season:
  • Pau have won significantly less corners away then at home.
  • Pau haven’t played a single 0-0 game away.
  • Valenciennes have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Le Havre 33 18 14 1 43 15 16 9 7 0 21 7 17 9 7 1 22 8 28 68
2 Bordeaux 34 19 8 7 48 26 17 11 4 2 25 9 17 8 4 5 23 17 22 65
3 Metz 34 17 11 6 55 30 17 8 7 2 24 13 17 9 4 4 31 17 25 62
4 Bastia 34 15 8 11 41 38 17 10 3 4 23 13 17 5 5 7 18 25 3 53
5 Sochaux 34 15 7 12 52 34 17 9 4 4 31 16 17 6 3 8 21 18 18 52
6 Caen 34 14 10 10 43 37 17 10 5 2 27 13 17 4 5 8 16 24 6 52
7 Grenoble Foot 38 34 14 8 12 32 31 17 9 4 4 18 13 17 5 4 8 14 18 1 50
8 Quevilly Rouen 34 12 12 10 41 39 17 6 8 3 27 21 17 6 4 7 14 18 2 48
9 Paris 34 13 8 13 41 41 17 6 3 8 21 21 17 7 5 5 20 20 0 47
10 Saint-Étienne 34 13 10 11 54 51 17 8 4 5 28 25 17 5 6 6 26 26 3 46
11 Guingamp 34 12 9 13 45 45 17 6 3 8 23 23 17 6 6 5 22 22 0 45
12 Amiens SC 34 12 8 14 35 43 17 8 3 6 18 17 17 4 5 8 17 26 -8 44
13 Rodez 33 10 11 12 35 39 17 4 6 7 16 24 16 6 5 5 19 15 -4 41
14 Pau 34 10 10 14 33 43 17 5 6 6 17 21 17 5 4 8 16 22 -10 40
15 Valenciennes 34 8 14 12 38 46 17 5 10 2 25 22 17 3 4 10 13 24 -8 38
16 Annecy 34 9 11 14 35 48 17 7 4 6 16 18 17 2 7 8 19 30 -13 38
17 Laval 34 11 4 19 38 51 17 7 2 8 23 23 17 4 2 11 15 28 -13 37
18 Dijon 34 8 11 15 32 40 17 6 6 5 17 16 17 2 5 10 15 24 -8 35
19 Nîmes 34 9 6 19 38 53 17 8 2 7 23 20 17 1 4 12 15 33 -15 33
20 Niort 34 7 6 21 29 58 17 5 2 10 19 31 17 2 4 11 10 27 -29 27

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 Le Havre 33 18 14 1 43 15 16 9 7 0 21 7 17 9 7 1 22 8 28 68
2 Bordeaux 34 19 8 7 48 26 17 11 4 2 25 9 17 8 4 5 23 17 22 65
3 Metz 34 17 11 6 55 30 17 8 7 2 24 13 17 9 4 4 31 17 25 62
4 Bastia 34 15 8 11 41 38 17 10 3 4 23 13 17 5 5 7 18 25 3 53
5 Sochaux 34 15 7 12 52 34 17 9 4 4 31 16 17 6 3 8 21 18 18 52
6 Caen 34 14 10 10 43 37 17 10 5 2 27 13 17 4 5 8 16 24 6 52
7 Grenoble Foot 38 34 14 8 12 32 31 17 9 4 4 18 13 17 5 4 8 14 18 1 50
8 Quevilly Rouen 34 12 12 10 41 39 17 6 8 3 27 21 17 6 4 7 14 18 2 48
9 Paris 34 13 8 13 41 41 17 6 3 8 21 21 17 7 5 5 20 20 0 47
10 Saint-Étienne 34 13 10 11 54 51 17 8 4 5 28 25 17 5 6 6 26 26 3 46
11 Guingamp 34 12 9 13 45 45 17 6 3 8 23 23 17 6 6 5 22 22 0 45
12 Amiens SC 34 12 8 14 35 43 17 8 3 6 18 17 17 4 5 8 17 26 -8 44
13 Rodez 33 10 11 12 35 39 17 4 6 7 16 24 16 6 5 5 19 15 -4 41
14 Pau 34 10 10 14 33 43 17 5 6 6 17 21 17 5 4 8 16 22 -10 40
15 Valenciennes 34 8 14 12 38 46 17 5 10 2 25 22 17 3 4 10 13 24 -8 38
16 Annecy 34 9 11 14 35 48 17 7 4 6 16 18 17 2 7 8 19 30 -13 38
17 Laval 34 11 4 19 38 51 17 7 2 8 23 23 17 4 2 11 15 28 -13 37
18 Dijon 34 8 11 15 32 40 17 6 6 5 17 16 17 2 5 10 15 24 -8 35
19 Nîmes 34 9 6 19 38 53 17 8 2 7 23 20 17 1 4 12 15 33 -15 33
20 Niort 34 7 6 21 29 58 17 5 2 10 19 31 17 2 4 11 10 27 -29 27

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.