In the match of the fifth round of the French championship, Le Havre will play at home against Lorient. The meeting is of particular significance as both teams are expected to be among the main contenders for relegation this season. Points in head-to-head encounters are especially important in this situation. Currently, both teams have three points in their tally which were earned in not-so-obvious matches.

Le Havre started the season with defeats to Monaco (1:3) and Lens (1:2), then unexpectedly triumphed over Nice (3:1), and in the previous round lost to Strasbourg (0:1). Despite predominantly poor results, Le Havre scored in three of the four matches, so there may be a sense of cautious optimism, especially if they can resolve their defensive issues.

Lorient's situation is even more swings and roundabouts. They began with a loss to Auxerre (0:1), but then surprisingly thrashed Rennes (4:0) in a derby, taking advantage of a numerical advantage. This was followed by two very painful defeats: to Lille (1:7) and Marseille (0:4). Currently, Lorient has the weakest defence in Ligue 1, having already conceded 12 goals in four rounds, more than anyone else. However, their attack is not the worst. Like Le Havre, Lorient has scored five goals, the same as, for example, Rennes and Strasbourg, who are in the top six.

The last time these two opponents faced each other was two seasons ago. At that time, Le Havre won at home with a score of 3:0 and drew away – 3:3.