Sochaux v Evian - Ligue 1 Relegation Battle

Occasionally final days of league seasons throw up fascinating fixtures such as this, with both Sochaux and Evian battling to stay in the French Ligue 1. Sochaux and Evian have just one point separating their respective totals ahead of this final day clash. A draw will be enough for the away side to avoid the drop, while the home side naturally need to win.

The French Ligue 1 has been dominated by Paris Saint-Germain this season, and this has perhaps distracted attention away from the fact that the league as a whole is steadily improving. Ligue 1 is now close to overtaking Serie A in the UEFA rankings and having four teams admitted to the Champions League as a matter of course. This would be a big boost for a league which is trying to establish itself as a viable alternative to the major hitters, with both PSG and Monaco looking to chase the biggest European prize in the coming years.

Although Evian come into the game on the back of a more than useful victory over Nice by two goals to nil, the form of Sochaux in recent weeks has eclipsed this being little short of staggering for a team that looked doomed a few weeks ago. Sochaux have drawn comparisons with Sunderland in the Premier League as they have won four out of five games to catapult themselves into the position to avoid the drop. This scarcely looked achievable a few weeks ago, but now they’ve given themselves a real chance of escaping relegation on the final day of the season.

Pressure must play a part in such a situation, though. It’s not surprising on this basis that the bookmakers make Sochaux a favourite to win this one and miraculously escape the drop, but in a way they’ve already done the easy part. They were playing under no pressure, with no weight of expectation in recent weeks, while now for the first time they have a realistic opportunity to retain their Ligue 1 status. It is now that they will begin to feel pressure for the first time in quite some time. On the other hand, form and momentum count for a lot at this time of the season, and there must be a lot of confidence in the Sochaux dressing room given the incredible run that they’ve been on. It’s hard to know how Evian will respond, but they did pick up a good win in their previous match, so this is an encounter between two teams in good form.

Could home advantage count for a lot in this match as well? I think that it certainly will. It is sure to be a frenzied atmosphere for this fixture, with one of the two teams certain to be relegated, and I ultimately expect the home side to benefit from this. I’m going to back Sochaux to win narrowly in a a very tense game and complete a highly unlikely escape from relegation.

Selections: Safe Bet – Sochaux to win, Value Bet – Sochaux to win by 1 goal

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13/05/2014     © Frixo 2026