Sparks will fly as Montpellier vs Reims battle for points in a Ligue 1 clash at Stade de la Mosson on Sunday. The kick-off time is 14:00 BST, 27 August 2023.
Montpellier will aim to extend their unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season when they square off with Reims.
Last weekend's 4-1 thrashing of Lyon means that La Paillade sit on four points after two matches, while Reims have three points following a 2-0 victory over Clermont last time out.
Montpellier vs Reims probable lineups
Both sides are expected to field a strong lineup as the fight for points have started. So this is how we think the coaches will present their teams.
Montpellier
Goalkeeper: Benjamin Lecomte
Defenders: Falaye Sako, Christopher Julien, Boubakar Kouyate, Issiaga Syla
Midfielders: Joris Chotard, Jordan Ferri, Mousa Al-Taamari, Teji Savanier, Arnaud Nordin
Forwards: Akor Adams
Michel Der Zakarian boasts a healthy squad and is expected to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation headlined by in-form Nigerian striker, Akor Adams.
Reims
Goalkeeper: Yehvan Diouf
Defenders: Thibault De Smet, Yunis Abdelhamid, Emmanuel Agbadou, Thomas Foket
Midfielders: Azor Matusiwa, Teddy Teuma, Reda Khadra, Marshall Munetsi, Junya Ito
Forwards: Oumar Diakité
Similarly, coach Will Still could go with identical formation as the opponents without a change in the lineup that defeated Clermont last week.
Montpellier vs Reims confirmed lineups
Montpellier
Reims
*Lineups will be automatically updated shortly after they're released
Montpellier vs Reims predictions
Prediction 1: Montpellier to Carry the Day
Montpellier are coming into this clash from a 1-4 away win at Lyon, a big victory that gives the side huge confidence to stage a back-to-back win against Reims. They'll be looking to keep their unbeaten start to the season intact and we're backing them to do just that even as we think the match will be tough for both teams.
Prediction 2: Both Teams to Score
Both teams have scored in their first two games of the Ligue 1 season; this trend should be able to continue right into this clash. It is important to mention that this fixture has seen each team score in three of their last four skirmishes. Also, Montpellier have conceded in both games this season, while Reims have been breached once. With these in mind, we expect to see goals on both ends.
Prediction 3: Over 2.5 Goals
Only current league leaders, Monaco, have scored more goals this season than Montpellier. Michel Der Zakarian outfit have played high-scoring games in their last two skirmishes with Akor Adams pulling the strings. On the other hand, Reims have been involved in at least three goals match on one occasion this season. It's worth knowing that the home team have scored six goals, while the visitors have netted three times, all these increases the chances of this encounter ending on three goals at least.
Montpellier vs Reims Head to Head
This clash will be the 15th time these teams meet. Montpellier won 5 clashes between them, while Reims also registered 5 wins; 4 games were drawn.
Below are the last five results between these teams:
France Ligue 1 03/06/23
Reims
Montpellier
France Ligue 1 13/11/22
Montpellier
Reims
France Ligue 1 17/04/22
Montpellier
Reims
France Ligue 1 15/08/21
Reims
Montpellier
France Ligue 1 28/02/21
Reims
Montpellier
Player to Watch out for in Montpellier vs Reims
Akor Adams
Following Akor Adams summer move from Lillestrøm in Norway to Montpellier, the Nigerian striker have continued his dangerous form in front of the opponent's goal.
La Paillade found themselves 2-1 up against Le Havre on the opening weekend of the season all thanks to a second-half brace from Akor Adams, but the Ligue 1 newcomers snatched a point late on as Samuel Grandsir scored a 90th-minute equaliser.
Akor Adams extended his goalscoring record as he completed the 1-4 rout of Lyon last week with his third goal of the season for Montpellier.
Only table-topping Monaco have scored more goals than Montpellier this season, which is largely down to Adam netting 50% of his team's goals. It'll be interesting to see how Reims can stop the red-hot striker from finding the back of the net as both teams square off on Sunday afternoon.
Where to watch Montpellier vs Reims live in Nigeria
Unfortunately, this match will not be broadcast live in Nigeria but concerned fans can follow up with the game online.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 weeks ago
