Ligue 2 has long been one of our main leagues and we are rapidly coming towards the end of the 17/18 season and we can take this opportunity to look at how the final rounds there tend to play out.

Weeks 37 and 38 over the last five seasons, give us 100 games in total, which have produced 50 home wins and 25 draws with exactly the same number (25) going to visiting teams. 62% have gone "over" 2.5 goals , with 38% producing at least four , the goal market is worthy of a closer look as the trend is upwards over the last three of those campaigns, with 66.7% ending with 3 + and 45% having at least four.

I have already discussed with you several times this season the rise in goals in L2 and I wrote an article a few weeks back outlining why I expected that to continue and we had an average of 2.9 goals per game in each of Week 35 and in W36 . So, given that, the earlier summary and historical trend for the final two weeks, we can expect the goals to continue to flow.

Home wins over those final two weeks are higher at 50% than we almost ever see in Ligue 2 , but are what we tend to expect at this time of year with teams having season tickets to sell and looking to send supporters off for the summer with a feelgood factor and having been entertained ,especially in minor leagues like L2 where competition and games have been close all season, with teams playing under pressure and often travelling long distances to games. Now the tempation to finally switch off is great when little is at stake and you are on the road. That 50% for the final two rounds rises to 62% for R38 alone and 70% for the last three seasons when there have twice been no draws at all and those have been in decline all season (currently 22.5%).

Of course, I am only talking in general terms and if two teams "need" a point, or one of them a draw/win to gain promotion/a playoff spot/avoid relegation, it is a very different story and they will play cautiously. Witness the Lens-Paris FC game on Monday night, although that was ruined as a contest by the first half dismissal of Herve Lybohy.

Whenever we look at such numbers and at whatever stage of the season, they are only ever meant as a starting point, but year after year they do tend to lead us in the right direction.

Good luck !