Montpellier vs Reims lineups, 3 predictions – Ligue 1

Montpellier vs Reims lineups, 3 predictions – Ligue 1
Credit: Icon Sport

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
Credit: Icon Sport

Montpellier vs Reims confirmed lineups

Montpellier

Montpellier
4-2-3-1
40
Benjamin Lecomte
fr
77
Falaye Sacko
ml
6
Christopher Jullien
fr
4
Kiki
ml
13
Joris Chotard
fr
12
Jordan Ferri
fr
11
Teji Savanier
fr
7
Arnaud Nordin
fr
Substitutes
27
Becir Omeragic
ch
14
Maxime Esteve
fr
18
Leo Leroy
fr
75
Mamadou Sakho
fr
22
Khalil Fayad
fr
16
Dimitry Bertaud
fr

Reims

Reims
4-2-3-1
94
Yehvann Diouf
fr
32
Thomas Foket
be
24
Emmanuel Agbadou
ci
5
Yunis Abdelhamid
ma
19
Josh Wilson-Esbrand
gb
15
Marshall Munetsi
zw
21
Azor Matusiwa
nl
10
Teddy Teuma
mt
Substitutes
6
Valentin Atangana Edoa
fr
11
Amine Salama
fr
96
Alexandre Olliero
fr
14
Reda Khadra
de
3
Kamory Doumbia
ml
25
Thibault De Smet
be
2
Joseph Okumu
ke
67
Mamadou Diakhon
fr

*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

Reims

1
Montpellier

Montpellier

3

France Ligue 1 13/11/22

Montpellier

Montpellier

1
Reims

Reims

1

France Ligue 1 17/04/22

Montpellier

Montpellier

0
Reims

Reims

0

France Ligue 1 15/08/21

Reims

Reims

3
Montpellier

Montpellier

3

France Ligue 1 28/02/21

Reims

Reims

0
Montpellier

Montpellier

0

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.

Akor Adams in celebratory mood after scoring for Montpellier
Credit: Icon Sport

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 1 year ago

Joseph is a freelance writer who spends most of his time writing engaging football contents. Based in Nigeria, Joseph is a die-hard Real Madrid fan with over 8 years experience in the sports betting space. He has covered football match previews, predictions, and news across leagues in Africa and Europe.