Preview: Montpellier HSC vs. Bordeaux - prediction, team news, lineups

Having finally managed to claim a long-awaited three points in Ligue 1, Bordeaux will aim to keep the momentum going when they take on Montpellier HSC at the Stade de la Mosson on Sunday.

That will be easier said than done, however, as the hosts go into the bout hoping to extend their unbeaten run across all competitions to 10 matches.

Match preview

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Andy Delort saving Montpellier's bacon is hardly a surprise anymore, as the 29-year-old was on hand to head home and rescue a point in a 1-1 draw against Nimes, who initially broke the deadlock through Moussa Kone before Delort popped up with his 10th league goal of the campaign.

Montpellier's main man has also set up his teammates seven times during what has been a somewhat frustrating campaign with injuries, and Michel Der Zakarian simply has to keep Delort fit and firing on all cylinders if they are to maintain their hot streak in the final weeks of the 2020-21 season.

While La Paillade have managed to string an impressive set of results together since the start of February, the stalemate with Nimes came after Der Zakarian's men had also taken just one point from clashes with Lorient and Reims - games they would have expected to win - but their current unbeaten streak of seven top-flight matches is their best such run since 2018.

Montpellier's European dream is not dead in the water yet as they sit ninth in the table - four points adrift of the top five - and they have managed to win two of their last three home matches after failing to win any of their previous six before that, so the signs are overwhelmingly positive for Der Zakarian and co.

Furthermore, the hosts have managed to find the back of the net in nine of their last 10 matches at the Stade de la Mosson, and managing to stretch their unbeaten run into double figures before the international break would certainly have the Paillade faithful looking ahead to the spring with cautious optimism.

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It would be unfair to say that Dijon are simply handing out three points to any team that desires them, but Bordeaux could not have wished for a more ideal game in which to return to winning ways after a truly dismal run of results.

Jean-Louis Gasset had witnessed his side lose seven of their last eight before travelling to the Stade Gaston-Gerard, but Hwang Ui-jo rediscovered his goalscoring touch at the perfect time to set Bordeaux on their way to a 3-1 triumph over the league's basement side, with Nicolas de Preville also coming off the bench to make the net ripple last Sunday.

While a first victory for nearly two months is just what the doctor ordered for Les Girondins, their alarming slump had seen them slide further down the rankings and they now occupy 11th spot in the table, five points and two places below their weekend opponents Montpellier.

Gasset's side have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last four away matches, but after travelling home from Dijon with three points in the bag, they could win back-to-back away matches in the league for the first time since October 2019, when they overcame Amiens and Toulouse - who have both been relegated to Ligue 2 since - in quick succession.

Delort and Florent Mollet propelled Montpellier to a 2-0 win on Bordeaux's turf earlier in the campaign, and they have not lost in any of their last four matches against Les Girondins, who do however boast three wins from their last five at the Stade de la Mosson.

Team News

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It is no surprise that Montpellier's strong run of form has coincided with a near-empty medical room, with the only concern for the hosts being Ambroise Oyongo, who recently saw a loan spell at FC Krasnodar cut short due to injury.

Der Zakarian appears to have settled on a first-choice XI with all of his players fully fit, as centre-back pairing Hilton and Daniel Congre continue to perform at the ages of 43 and 35 respectively.

Bordeaux lost Samuel Kalu to yet another injury after just 16 minutes against Dijon, and the 23-year-old's latest thigh problem will keep him out of this game after he was forced to withdraw from the Nigeria squad for the upcoming international fixtures.

Otavio continues to nurse an Achilles tendon rupture, while Hatem Ben Arfa - who has struggled to force his way into the starting lineup recently - missed out entirely last weekend and may not make the cut here either.

However, veteran defender Laurent Koscielny is back from a ban and should return to the Girondins' rearguard this weekend - probably in place of the absent Mexer - while Ben Arfa will not be involved either.

Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Omlin; Sambia, Hilton, Congre, Ristic; Ferri; Mavididi, Mollet, Savanier, Laborde; Delort

Bordeaux possible starting lineup:
Costil; Sabaly, Baysse, Koscielny, Benito; Adli, Basic; Oudin, De Preville, Zerkane; Hwang

We say: Montpellier HSC 2-1 Bordeaux

Claiming three points against Dijon is not exactly something to celebrate heavily, but any win for Bordeaux in their current form is a huge boost for Gasset's charges. However, Montpellier are proving themselves as incredibly difficult to beat and will view this game as an ideal opportunity to return to winning ways, so we can only back a home triumph in this match.