Auxerre vs Le Mans Prediction & Betting Tips

How each side has been playing

Le Mans have leaned on draws lately in Ligue 1, picking up one win and three draws in their last five, with the only defeat coming away at Rennes. It's not spectacular, but they've stayed hard to beat.

Auxerre: 20 completed matches; Le Mans: 20 completed matches.

Auxerre

20 matches

Win

40% 8 / 20

Draw

30% 6 / 20

Loss

30% 6 / 20

Scored

31

Conceded

27

Difference

+4

Le Mans

20 matches

Win

45% 9 / 20

Draw

40% 8 / 20

Loss

15% 3 / 20

Scored

36

Conceded

24

Difference

+12

Auxerre's recent run has been more up and down. They lost three in a row before turning things around with back-to-back wins over Brest and Nice, so the direction of travel has improved even if the underlying numbers are still shaky.

Le Mans arrive unbeaten in four of their last five league outings, while Auxerre's improvement is more recent and less tested.

Comparative Team Statistics: Auxerre vs Le Mans

Past meetings

These two haven't met competitively in Ligue 1 before. The available head-to-head history goes back to Ligue 2 fixtures and a friendly, the most recent of which was played in 2020.

Given how much time has passed and how both squads have changed since then, none of that history tells us much about how Sunday's game will actually go.

Where they sit in the table

Auxerre and Le Mans are level on points, with Le Mans just above them in the standings. The difference is in the goal columns: Le Mans have kept things tighter at both ends, while Auxerre have conceded more than they've scored.

It's an early-season snapshot rather than a settled picture, but right now there's very little separating these two sides on paper.

Players to watch

Le Mans have two players sharing the scoring load in Bourabaa and Mafouta, both on three goals apiece, with Bourabaa also chipping in with assists. Auxerre's main threat has been Archer, who has three goals in just three appearances, a decent strike rate if he keeps that up.

Auxerre:

Best scorers:

C. Archer - 3

Penalty cards:

C. Makosso x 1 x 1

Le Mans:

Best scorers:

A. Bourabaa - 3

L. Mafouta - 3

Best assist providers:

A. Bourabaa - 2

L. Mafouta - 1

Penalty cards:

D. Sidibé x 1 x 1

A. Lauray x 3

N. Boissé x 2

Discipline is worth a mention too. Le Mans' Sidibé and Auxerre's Makosso have each picked up a red card in their recent matches, so referees may be watching both sides closely for rough edges.

How this one might play out

With both teams close in the table and similar in points, this has the look of a tight, cagey contest rather than one side dominating. Le Mans' habit of drawing games suggests they won't take unnecessary risks, while Auxerre's recent wins have come with a bit more purpose going forward.

Given the lack of any strong head-to-head pattern and the closeness of current form, there's no obvious reason to expect a one-sided result here.