Football Season Guide

Montpellier spent much of last season flirting with relegation, and they will hope to have an altogether more comfortable campaign this time around as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club. There is a sense of stability this season at Stade de la Mosson, with the club the team in Ligue 1 that has changed the least over the summer months. In many ways, it is easy to understand why they will feel that is an acceptable course of action, having suffered only three defeats in the last 13 games of 2023/24 – and two of those to the clubs that finished in the top two. At the time of writing, there are no new faces in the starting XI, while there are no pertinent losses across the field, with those departing typically on the fringes of the thinking of manager Michel Der Zakarian. Pre-season results suggest that Montpellier will be prone to playing in high-scoring matches, which is often a feature of a Der Zakarian side, yet the volume of goals they have been conceding has been alarming. Across their six pre-season games, they conceded at least two goals on five occasions. Equally in these fixtures, both teams invariably scored. Akor Adams showed last season he has potential to be a big threat in Ligue 1, while Mousa Al-Tamari was spectacular in the first half of the season before fading after going on international duty. Teji Savanier is also a player packed with creativity, and Arnaud Nordin is an excellent option wide if he can remain fit. On the defensive side of things, Joris Chotard has been with France’s Olympic squad and could take time to get back to his best, while lynchpin defensive midfielder Jordan Ferri has been carrying a knock. Early in the season, Montpellier could struggle without these two. They are crucial. At the back, meanwhile, there are significant doubts over the quality of Montpellier’s options. Kiki Kouyate is a monster aerially, but along with Christopher Jullien can lack mobility.