A quick turn-around in Ligue 1 this week following the mid-week matches which ended late on Thursday evening. This weekend includes an intriguing top-of-the-table Riviera derby between Monaco and Nice. But we’ve picked three other matches for your previewing delectation.
SCO Angers vs Olympique Lyonnais Saturday 6 February 16:00 by @jeremysmith98
Two teams in slightly shaky form meet this weekend, hoping to (re)build some momentum to keep them in touch with the European places.
Angers’ achievements this season have been widely and deservedly acclaimed. However, their 2016 form has not been as strong as in 2015, as they get used to life without Ludovic Butelle in goal and the oomph of Abdoul Camara up-front, and both green keeper Alexandre Letellier and new signing Grégory Bourillon need time to settle. They come into this match having lost four of their last five in all competitions, most recently in midweek at struggling Reims, and will be without their man of 2016 so far, Pierrick Capelle, who followed up his three excellent goals in four games with a red card against Reims.
Currently in fourth place, Angers will hope to return to winning ways by repeating the performance of their last home game, where they comfortably defeated Monaco 3-0. That match saw Mohamed Yattara score his first since returning to the club, but the SCO strikers continue to disappoint in general and talismanic captain Cheikh N’Doye again took responsibility, SCOring two goals – from an aggregate distance of about 13cm.
Lyon will very well remember the previous time that N’Doye scored a brace, as it was in Angers’ 2-0 win which ruined the last ever Ligue 1 match at the Gerland. Les Gônes will come to the Jean-Bouin looking for revenge but also looking to build a little momentum after their midweek triumph over Bordeaux. The 3-0 scoreline, thanks to Lyon’s own brace-scoring hero Alexandre Lacazette, flattered OL somewhat, but that was only their second league win in 11 so they will take everything they can get at the moment.
Considering their terrible recent form, the fact that they are still only six points off the Champions League spots is amazing; if Bruno Genesio’s men can put together a run of results, they could move quickly up the table. However, Lyon have won away only once since that Fékir-inspired victory at Caen in August (and that was against Troyes so it doesn’t really count), they have not gone two league matches without defeat since October – and Angers have only lost once at home all season. With that in mind, a draw would probably be seen as a positive result for OL.
Girondins de Bordeaux vs AS Saint-Etienne Sunday 7 February 16:00 by @Philby1976
Bordeaux are continuing their bafflingly inconsistent form, losing 3-0 to Lyon midweek after beating Rennes 4-0 on Sunday. They’re one of only three teams to take a point off PSG, and the only one to do it at the Parc des Princes – conversely they lost 6-1 to Nice back in game 7 and to Lille 5-1 in the Coupe de la Ligue; they are still in the Coupe de France but don’t have to worry about European competition any more after finishing bottom of their Europa League group. It’s fair to say that it’s been a mixed season.
With Cedric Carrasso ruled out for a while with an ACL injury, Jerome Prior featured in the Lille and Rennes games (again, mixed fortunes) and new goalkeeping cover Paul Bernardoni was picked against Lyon. Not his worst shipping of the season (having conceded three or more five times for Troyes), but if Willy Sagnol is quite reasonably pulling his hair out right now, who to pick in goal will be one of the key issues to chuck a dart at.
Also looking like he should be switched to decaf is Christophe Galtier, whose team put in a fine, but ultimately unsuccessful, performance against PSG at the weekend after a shaky run of form, and then had to rely on defensive stalwart Moustapha Bayal Sall for the winning goal against Rennes midweek, as les Verts’ attacking options again came up short. That 1-0 away win put them up to fifth place, however, three points ahead of their opponents in eleventh.
This has the air of a tense stand-off, and likely a low-scoring affair. Saint-Etienne are not great in attack, but the defence is holding up, and Bordeaux’s big scores have mostly had a lot of help from the opposition. Bordeaux are slight favourites here odds-wise and have the recent head-to-head advantage, but context suggests Saint-Etienne should pick up at least a point.
Olympique de Marseille vs Paris Saint-Germain Sunday 7 February 20:00 by @rich_allen85
As Le Classique part deux comes around, there is no doubting the visitors and runaway champions elect PSG will be huge favourites to come away from the Velodrome with another three points. A brief glance at the Ligue 1 table tells you almost everything you need to know. PSG, 24 points clear at the top and with the best away record by far, come up against an underwhelming Marseille who have the third worst home record, only “bettered” by basement clubs Toulouse and Troyes.
However this is France’s most highly charged “derby” where form will play a slightly diminished role. For starters, the packed Velodrome crowd, instead of getting on the backs of the poorly performing Marseille players will be fervently supporting them against the old enemy. With no PSG fans in attendance at the game, 60,000 plus home fans will prove a very intimidating prospect for the men from the capital.
Marseille come into the game off the back of a much-needed midweek win away at Montpellier. In-form Georges-Kevin Nkoudou got the goal and on Sunday night much will be expected of him to provide a large portion of the attacking threat. Michy Batshuayi and Abdelaziz Barrada are back from suspension and the Belgian will lead the line and look to add to his goal he scored in the reverse fixture. Deadline-day loan-signing Steven Fletcher should come into the squad and will provide something of a different attacking option for Michel. With Romain Alessandrini back from injury, the Marseille coach will have a little more choice when it comes to his forward line than he did on Tuesday. He will however have to do without Florian Thauvin who lasted only 11 minutes into his second Marseille debut before seeing red against Montpellier.
What can you say about PSG? Week in, week out they are securing win after win. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back to his goalscoring best, Serge Aurier is looking every bit like the world class right back he is, and Angel Di Maria is on a one-man mission to walk away with the player of the season award. The Argentinian winger has taken Ligue 1 by storm, and alongside Ibrahimovic and Lucas Moura/Edinson Cavani, has formed one of the most clinical attacks in recent times. David Luiz should come back into the side to partner captain Thiago Silva in the centre of defence, although Marquinhos has been a more than able deputy.
So, how can Marseille possibly get anything from this game? First, they can take a little comfort that in recent weeks, Toulouse, Saint-Etienne and Lorient have caused problems for PSG by not coming into the game already accepting defeat. If Marseille can come out fighting and keep the pressure up then there is a small window of opportunity. Secondly, talk is growing of PSG going undefeated throughout the season, so what better incentive for Marseille than to be the team to put that to and end. Finally, and as mentioned earlier, the home support has to be at its electric best. Taking all that into consideration, however, it is still tough to see anything but a PSG win.
PREDICTIONS
