Ajaccio vs. Lens Preview

AJACCIO, France (Interstat) — Ajaccio hosts Lens on Sunday, April 26, at Stade François Coty in a Ligue 1 fixture that marks the second match week of the French top flight season.

The game carries unusual scheduling context. In a disjointed campaign, both sides enter the contest building momentum from early-season results played months apart.

Lens comes off a 4-2 victory over Brest on Friday, April 24. That win extends a strong run of recent form for the visitors, who have won four of their last five league matches dating to October. In that stretch, Lens defeated Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 on Oct. 19 and beat Nantes 2-1 on Dec. 6. The lone blemish was a 2-0 loss at Metz on Oct. 29.

Ajaccio most recently played to a 3-3 draw at Lyon on Sunday, April 19. That result snapped a run of earlier season data that includes a series of matches outside Ligue 1. The Corsican side’s competitive balance has been mixed: a 4-1 win over Madagascar on Oct. 12 and a 3-0 victory over Comoros on Sept. 4, but also a 1-0 loss to Ghana on Sept. 8.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 1-1 draw. The analytical service’s ELO rating system gives Lens a 62.80 percent probability to win.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. local time.