Few expected Lorient to enjoy such an impressive start to the campaign. Lorient’s start has been remarkable in the 2022–23 Ligue 1 season. Over the 19 matchdays that have gone by this season, Lorient have been among the top ten positions throughout. They looked like the team who might challenge for the top four spots in the league but have lost their form in the past few matchdays. The team has only won one match since the start of November, which came against bottom-placed Angers on New Year’s Day. They lost their most recent match to Marseille and failed to pick up all three points against the likes of Monaco, Montpellier, and Strasbourg.
This season in Ligue 1, Lorient’s home form is average with four wins, two draws, and three losses. In terms of their away form, it is considered very good as a result of five wins, three draws, and two losses. Lorient have scored a total of 31 goals this season in Ligue 1, having played 19 matches in the current season. It is a remarkable performance for a club that won just eight times in the whole of last season and finished the season in 16th place, only four points clear of the relegation zone, but even then, Lorient have dropped points on the run in their most recent matches. This drop in form has resulted in the club falling behind in the race for Europe as the point gap between qualifications is increasing match by match. Let’s now look at the stats behind Lorient’s current season so far, especially their performance in their recent Ligue 1 matches.
How Lorient are performing this season
Lorient started the season in top form. For a large portion of the season, they looked like the team that could challenge for the spot in Europe. However, they have since lost a bit of ground. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the team in attacking, defensive, and possession stats compared to other teams in Ligue 1. It can be observed that the stats for Lorient are not as eye-catching as they may seem given that they stand seventh in the league. They are performing fairly decently with respect to goals per 90. Defensively, they are not the best either; in terms of recoveries per 90 minutes, they are one of the lowest-ranked teams in Ligue 1.
Overall attack
Lorient are currently in seventh place in the 2022–23 French Ligue 1, with 32 points from 19 matches played. They have won nine matches, drawn five, and lost five. They have scored 31 goals (22.87 xG) and conceded 29 goals (27.5 xGA). Lorient have scored most of their goals from around the six-yard box. They have also managed to take quite a few shots on target from outside the box. They attempt 10.4 sots per 90 with a shot accuracy of 42.4%.
Lorient in the attack: last five matches
In their last five games, the team has scored a total of only five goals from 43 shots, putting them at an xG of 4.1 overall. Four of the goals have come from inside the box, and the other came from a long distance. The team has an xG per shot of only 0.1. They have attempted many from long-range on target but have not been effective in converting the shots. They played their most recent match vs Marseille which they lost three goals to one away from home. The team managed to take only three shots on target from a total of ten shots in the match. Additionally, Lorient have won only one match in the last five matches played since November, drawing two and losing two.
Lorient in defence this season
Lorient have surprised many with the displays they are giving on the pitch, especially against the big teams. Their defence has been solid, averaging 44.63 interceptions per 90. The above viz depicts the team’s defensive territory during the 2022–23 Ligue 1 season. One of the key things that can be observed is that the French side hasn’t committed any fouls in their defensive areas. They haven’t conceded a penalty, and the defence has shown discipline. Lorient are ranked at the bottom in terms of recoveries in the opponent’s half, which shows their intent to sit back and dig. The French side is in good shape, with 60.2% of defensive duels won in the Ligue 1 season 2022–23. Lorient wins 45% of their duels in the air. The team averaged 9.79 fouls per 90 minutes and 1.53 goals conceded for the 19 matches played.
Lorient In defence: Last three matches
Lorient have conceded nine goals in their last five matches, compared to netting five. Their backline is positioned deep in their defensive third. It can be seen that the team has also committed many of their fouls in these matches. Lorient have conceded 29 goals in the entire season, nine of which came in the last five games. Additionally, they are not finding much success in defence in the middle of the park, with teams being able to penetrate relatively easily from the centre. The team will look to fill this gap in the middle for their future matches.
Lorient currently sits in 7th place on the league table. While the club from Brittany has dropped points over the last few matches, they have remained competitive. Their next league match is against Rennes at home. The team has won only one match out of their last five matches played, which has led to them losing their grip on European qualification. Lorient are playing some impressive counter-attacking football this season and will hope to bounce back in their upcoming Ligue 1 games. It will be interesting to see how they see their remaining season given that they are chasing some European glory.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
