Lens Vs St Etienne Betting Tip: Home – 3 October 2020

Bright start to life in Ligue 1 can continue for Lens

Jean-Philippe Krasso / St Etienne ©imago images / PanoramiC 09/26/2020

France Lens Vs St Etienne France

Saturday 3 October 2020 – 16:00 (GMT)
French Ligue 1
Pick: Lens to WIN
Odds: 5/4
Bookmaker: Unibet
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 30 September 2020)

Preview: Promoted from Ligue 2 as runners-up when football in France was curtailed in March, so far Lens have not looked at all out of place in elevated company. The next challenge for them will be taking points off a St Etienne side whose early momentum has seemingly subsided.

French Ligue 1 Betting at 22Bet

 

Lens Preview – Early Ligue 1 success fully deserved?

The 2019/20 Ligue 2 runners-up have made the transition to France’s top division appear seamless thus far. Ahead of Saturday’s evening kick-off at their Stade Bollaert-Delelis with St Etienne, who have suffered a dip in form after reeling off three straight wins to begin the season, Lens occupy sixth in the Ligue 1 table having amassed as many points (10) as third-placed Montpellier.

Their outstanding early form is all the more impressive when considering how they didn’t get off to the best of starts, losing the opening fixture 2-1 away to Nice despite dominating in the south of France. Undeterred, Lens went and won all of their subsequent three fixtures, battling to narrow one-goal victories against perennial French champions PSG, Ligue 2 winners Lorient and top-flight regulars Bordeaux.

Nimes brought this hot streak to an end last time out, despite the best efforts of Cameroonian Ignatius Ganago whose opening goal in the 1-1 draw (xG: NIM 0.45 – 1.09 LEN) meant the 21-year-old forward has now scored in each of his last four appearances. Only Memphis Depay boasts as many Ligue 1 goals (4) so far this season. Odds of 7/2 (Betfair) about him netting here seem more than reasonable.

 

Lens Win & Both Teams to Score
4/1

Bet365

 

St Etienne Preview – Les Verts usually good for a goal or two?

Les Verts’ tenure atop Ligue 1 was brief. Back-to-back home fixtures to begin the season seen them inflict 2-0 defeat upon Lorient and Strasbourg, before travelling to the Stade Velodrome and winning by the very same scoreline against a Marseille side who were still fresh from their absorbing encounter in Paris with PSG. Results which earned them the outright lead. Since then, however, they are winless in two (D1 L1).

Last week’s 3-0 home thrashing at the hands of Rennes was not merely their first defeat of the campaign but also their first blank in front of goal. Manager Claude Puel had previously overseen four successive Ligue 1 games in which his team had scored exactly two goals in each, a run that was abruptly ended last time out by a Rennes side expected to finish in or around the Champions League places.

Meanwhile, St Etienne were held to a 2-2 draw by Nantes in their latest away encounter. A bitterly disappointing outcome having led 2-0 with less than twenty minutes of the contest remaining. It was also an extremely clinical display, converting twice despite creating chances which equated to only 0.75xG. A not too dissimilar effort to their only other away encounter this season in Marseille (again scoring twice from 1.19 xG).

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Lens Vs St Etienne Betting Advice

So far this season, Lens have maintained the best overall process in the league, boasting superior xGF numbers in attack than all bar PSG whilst allowing the least amount of xGA. In simple terms, they deserve to sit as high as sixth. Whereas the same cannot be said for upcoming opponents St Etienne, who have massively over performed at both ends of the pitch so far (10 goals from 5.2xGF and 5 conceded from 6.9 xGA).

 

Lens Vs St Etienne– Key Facts

  • Both teams have scored in four of the five Ligue 1 games Lens have featured in this season, the only exception being their 1-0 win at home to PSG on Matchday 2.
  • A four-game run of scoring exactly two goals came to an end for St Etienne when losing last time out while in Ligue 1 action at home to Rennes (0-3).
  • St Etienne have beaten Lens on just one of the past eight occasions they have visited them in Ligue 1 (W1 D2 L5), doing so in their most recent clash here (0-1 in September 2014).

 

The momentum is also in the hosts favour, with three wins and draw a significant upgrade on the draw and defeat which St Etienne bring with them to Lens’ Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Therefore the home side are worth chancing here, as is a punt on forward Ignatius Ganago scoring for the fifth consecutive Ligue 1 match at tasty odds.

Best Betting Odds for Lens Vs St Etienne

Lens – 6/5 (Unibet)
Draw – 12/5 (Betway)
St Etienne – 13/5 (Betfair)