Montpellier vs Strasbourg Prediction: There are no guarantees

The opening day fixture between Montpellier and Strasbourg will be played at the Stade de la Mosson. They met for the last time last season on that ground and there was nothing to separate both sides, as the game ended in a 2-2 draw. Both teams will be hoping to prove themselves after putting up a terrible display during the preseason friendlies.

Montpellier will begin the Ligue 1 2024/25 season at home when they host Strasbourg. Montpellier comes into the new season with the worst possible experience during the preseason matches. They played 5 matches in preseason and lost 4 of them, while they managed to draw 1. Hence, at the moment, there’s a lot of doubt about the preparedness of Montpellier for the season’s opener.

Montpellier 12th last season with a total of 41 points. Their overall record was: 10 wins, 12 draws and 12 defeats.

Key players whom the club has lost through transfers include Maxime Estève, who transferred to Burnley for €12 million, and Léo Leroy, who crossed over to Basel for €500,000. Concerning incoming transfers, Montpellier has not pulled in anyone, and things have remained rather mute on a transfer window​. Montpellier fans will hope the team can stabilize their form and perhaps see last-minute signings to bolster the squad before the transfer window closes.

Strasbourg enter into the new season with lots of expectations, as they prepare to take on Montpellier at the Stade de la Mosson. They had a tough run during preseason which indicates the poor form of the team at the moment. Strasbourg played as many as 7 pre season friendlies, but they failed to win any of them, rather they lost 5 and drew the remaining 2.

Last season, Strasbourg finished in 13th place with a total of 39 points. They recorded 10 wins, 9 draws and 15 defeats throughout the season.

Strasbourg and Patrick Vieira split ways as the head coach at the end of July 2024, just before the new season started. It happened by mutual consent, which may be regarded as a serious change in team strategy and leadership. The team had been busy in the transfer market, capturing new talents that include Colombian prodigy Oscar Perea, who joined at the end of July 2024. The depths in midfield were added to by the arrival, on loan, of the Chelsea fringe player Andrey Santos​.

In the past 20 meetings, Montpellier won 8 matches, while Strasbourg won 6 and 6 matches ended in a draw.

H2H Streaks

Strasbourg is unbeaten in 3 consecutive matches

Montpellier is without a clean sheet in 5 consecutive matches

4/5 matches ended with more than 2.5 goals

Both teams scored in 4/5 matches

Montpellier scored first in 8/10 matches

5/6 matches ended with more than 4.5 cards

Looking at the performances of both clubs in preseason, each team currently finds itself in a bit of a pickle. However, there is always the possibility that both clubs will institute wide sweeping changes to their game plan ahead of the season's opener. Still, Montpellier is slightly favored to come out the winner in this match with their home advantage playing a crucial role in the end.

All things considered, a closely-fought battle is expected with a slight advantage for Montpellier due to Strasbourg's poor performance on the road.

• Montpellier Win or Draw and Under 3.5 Goals at 1.76 Odds
• Montpellier to Score First at 1.73 Odds
• Montpellier to Win 2-1 at 9.00 Odds