Sochaux are just a step away from producing one of the biggest comebacks in league history as they need a win over Evian to escape the drop, something that looked almost impossible just a couple of months back. Les Roses find themselves in a difficult position despite defeating Nice last weekend, although a draw or win would see them avoid relegation.

Herve Renard effect

Sochaux had a pretty disappointing start to the league campaign, losing six of first nine games, and club chiefs had no choice but to sack coach Omar Daf and appoint former Zambia boss Herve Renard in his place. The talented coach needed a while to get the maximum out of his side, and ahead of the January transfer window it looked as though les Lionceaux would not be able to survive. Nevertheless, the club made several very good signings as the likes of Pele, Marange, Sinkala, Sunzu and Jordan Ayew arrived to Stade Auguste Bonal, and the team soon started showing considerable improvement. And just when everybody started to write them off, Sochaux embarked on a run of four wins in five games to climb to the brink of safety, with weekend’s 2-1 away win over Rennes putting them in an excellent position ahead of the final day of the season. All les Lionceaux need to do now is to continue the impressive run against Evian and they will avoid the drop. With the hosts in much better form than their opponents and brimming with confidence at the moment, Sochaux look a good bet to get the job done.

Herve Renard has absolutely no selection worries at the moment, meaning he is set to field the same side that started the Rennes game.

Tough task for Evian

Evian have done really well to remain in the elite division since gaining promotion to Ligue 1 in 2011, but it appears their squad have been getting weaker every season. After finishing the previous campaign just two points above the bottom three, les Roses stayed without a number of key players in the summer and it is now clear they have failed to sign proper replacements. It is for that reason that nobody was surprised to see Pascal Dupraz’s side in and around the relegation zone, and they find themselves in a very difficult position at the moment. Evian did well to end a three-match losing run as they defeated fellow strugglers Nice last weekend, but avoiding defeat against in-form Sochaux could prove to be a tough task. Les Roses have largely struggled on the road this term, winning just one of last fourteen away matches in all competitions and they cannot be trusted to fare any better at Stade Auguste Bonal. And with their opponents on top of their game at the moment, Evian look like they will be relegated to the second division.

Key midfielder Daniel Wass should be fit to play despite suffering an ankle injury in training, but Tulio de Melo, Fabrice Ehret and Zakariya Abarouai are unavailable.

Verdict

Sochaux have been in stunning form over the last few weeks and les Lionceaux have enough quality and experience to win this game as well and secure their place in next year’s Ligue 1 campaign. Meanwhile, Evian largely struggle on the travels and I don’t see how they are going to match Herve Renard’s side.

Top pick: Home win   1.95 (19/20) @ BetVictor

Alternative pick 1: Under 2.5 goals   1.93 (13/14) @ Unibet

Alternative pick 2: Sochaux to win to nil   3.50 (5/2) @ Coral