Winless Le Havre host leaders PSG as Strasbourg slide into the play-off spot

Le Havre start matchday 9 bottom of Ligue 1 with two points and no win from eight games, and on Friday they host the leaders, Paris Saint-Germain. Further up, the fight to stay up has pulled in Strasbourg: four league defeats in a row have dropped them to 16th, the relegation play-off place.

The bottom of the table

Le Havre trail 17th-placed Troyes by three points and are five behind Le Mans and Strasbourg, both on seven. Troyes have the league's weakest attack, five goals in eight matches. Strasbourg and Auxerre share its leakiest defence, 18 goals conceded each. Angers, 14th on eight points, sit one point above the play-off spot.

Le Havre: goals at last, still no points

Le Havre, coached by Didier Digard, scored three times between the 77th and 89th minutes at Marseille's Vélodrome on Sunday, Le Havre's Josh Maja scoring twice, once from the penalty spot, but it only cut a 4-0 deficit to 4-3. Digard wanted a late penalty for handball against Marseille's Tochukwu Nnadi: "For me, it's handball." The French referees' directorate (DTA) later backed referee Clément Turpin, saying the replays did not show with certainty whether the ball struck Nnadi's arm after hitting his chest.

Digard also criticised his own side: "We are ridiculous at set pieces," he said. "None of the goals we conceded are worthy of the alarming situation we are in," he added. Before the game, Marseille coach Bruno Genesio had described Le Havre as one of the teams that press the most and create the most chances, but lack a little efficiency.

According to Goal, Le Havre have lost their last four league games. PSG arrive on 17 points, one ahead of Rennes, after five straight wins in all competitions, among them a 4-2 Champions League victory over Barcelona.

Strasbourg: one point from five games

The 3-0 defeat at Rennes on Sunday was Strasbourg's fourth league loss in a row and left them with one point from their last five matches, Foot en France reports. Strasbourg's last win was a 6-2 at Troyes on 6 September. DNA counts three goals scored and ten conceded during the losing run.

Strasbourg coach Hugo Oliveira, who arrived from Famalicão in the summer to replace Gary O'Neil as coach, took the blame after Rennes: "Responsibility starts with me." Local outlets DNA and Alsa'Sports have openly asked how secure his position is; no ultimatum has been announced publicly. Strasbourg host Auxerre, 12th on ten points, on Sunday, then visit Toulouse on 6 November before the international break.

This weekend at the bottom

Friday: Le Havre v PSG. Saturday: Troyes v Le Mans, 17th against 15th, after a 0-0 at Toulouse for Troyes and a 1-1 at Auxerre for Le Mans last weekend; a home win would lift Troyes above their visitors. Sunday: Strasbourg v Auxerre.