Clermont – Montpellier

Clermont are trying to move away from the relegation zone. Will it succeed in the game against Montpellier?

On Matchday 36 of the French championship, Clermont face Montpellier at home. The teams are in different positions in the standings. Clermont are fighting to keep their place in Ligue 1. They are safe for now, but they are only two points away from the relegation zone and six away from the relegation zone. Therefore, Clermont cannot feel at ease. Montpellier, on the other hand, have no tournament goals - they occupy 13th place, from which they will not be able to move much. But the lack of motivation is not stopping Montpellier from showing their character and playing some pretty lively football. A couple of rounds ago, Montpellier tried to put up a fight on the road against Lyon, scoring twice but conceding five goals. And last round, Montpellier lost 0-2 at home to Metz, but snatched a 2-2 draw at the end of the match, although Metz are much more motivated. That said, Montpellier have not been able to win for six consecutive matches and have only one win in the last ten rounds. Even Clermont have more encouraging recent matches. Although it lost to Brest (0-2) last round, before that it shared points with Angers (2-2), just before that it beat Troyes away (1-0) and drew with Metz (1-1). So Clermont have a pretty good game overall, the team lacks the class of the performers often. On the road, Montpellier have five wins, ten defeats and two draws. Clermont have three wins, eight defeats and six draws at home. Clermont have not won at home for six matches in a row since 13th February. In the first leg, Montpellier beat Clermont 1-0 thanks to a goal from Vai, who became the Paladins' attacking leader this season after Delors and Laborde left. Vai has already scored ten goals this season. And Clermont's top scorer is Bayo with 12 goals. Both are expected to play in the upcoming match. Overall, though, Montpellier have more losses. Cabella, Savanier, Mendes and Omlen, who play a significant role in the Paladins team, are injured.