The French Ligue 1 continues this weekend with Round 16 matches, and the closing game is set for Sunday, December 3rd, 2017, when Montpellier welcomes Marseille at Stade de la Mosson. Here on GetMoreSports, you can get some interesting betting picks and predictions for this clash, so, don’t waste your time and join the action.
MONTPELLIER vs. MARSEILLE
3-Way: 1: Montpellier +250; X: +245 Draw; 2: Marseille +137 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +0.5: Montpellier -141; Marseille +137
Total +2.5: Over +117; Under -118
MONTPELLIER
Montpellier is having a nice season, and their defensive approach is paying off as they are sitting at the seventh spot of the French Ligue 1 table after the first 15 rounds with 21 points, a 12:8 goal difference and a 5-6-4 record, eight points behind Monaco in the fourth spot which leads to the UEFA Europa League next season, and six points above the danger zone. At home, they have recorded three wins, three draws, and two losses with an 8:4 goal difference, while on the road they have earned two victories, three draws, and two losses with a 4:4 goal difference.
Montpellier is unbeaten for four games in a row in the French Ligue 1, recording three draws and one victory in the process, while they have managed to keep their net intact in the previous three matches against Guingamp, Lille, and Lyon. Montpellier mostly reckons on a reliable defense which is the best in the Ligue 1 so far with just eight goals conceded in 15 matches, while they didn’t allow their opponents to get a goal in the first 15 minutes of the game. On the other side, their attack is the third most inefficient in the league, and only Metz and Caen bagged fewer goals than Montpellier. They have created 130 scoring opportunities, scoring just 12 goals with a poor shot accuracy as 38% of their shots went on target.
In the previous round of the French Ligue 1, Montpellier played a boring 0:0 draw with Guingamp on the road when we saw just a couple of good scoring chances for 90 minutes on both sides. In the first minute of the game, the home team could easily take a lead, but Montpellier’s goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte made a great save. The visitors had their first chance of the game in the 44th minute when Casimir Ninga’s strike wasn’t powerful enough for Guingamp’s keeper. In the 64th minute, Montpellier was lucky as the referee didn’t see when the ball hit Pedro Mendes into the arm inside the box. The visitors had their best chance of the match in the 79th minute when Isaac Mbenza ruined the opportunity with an awful first touch in front of the keeper.
The 28-year old striker Giovanni Sio is the team’s leading scorer with three goals in 11 appearances, also adding one assist to his name. The 34-year old winger Souleymane Camara and the 21-year old forward Isaac Mbenza bagged a couple of goals each, while five other players scored one goal apiece thus far. The left-back Jerome Roussillon, the defensive midfielder Paul Lasne, and a striker Kevin Berigaud are the team’s best assist-makers this season with two dishes each.
The manager Michel Der Zakarian is surely satisfied with the team’s results this year, while he doesn’t have any serious injury worries among the squad, so he can field his best eleven against Marseille on Sunday evening.
MARSEILLE
The Olympians are playing in a great form recently, recording four victories and one draw in the previous five Ligue 1 matches, while they suffered just one defeat in the last ten games in all competitions, recording five wins and four draws in the process. The Olympians are unbeaten for 10 games in a row in the French Ligue 1 since a 3:1 defeat against Rennes in September, and they’ve managed to keep the clean sheet on the previous two occasions against Guingamp and Metz.
After the first 15 rounds of the French Ligue 1 The Olympians are laying at the second spot of the table with 31 points, a 31:18 goal difference, and a 9-4-2 record, ten points behind the leader Paris SG, and two points ahead of Lyon and Monaco. At home, The Olympians have recorded four victories, two draws, and one defeat with a 15:6 goal difference, while on the road they have earned five wins, two draws, and one defeat with a 16:12 goal difference. Marseille’s attack is the fourth most efficient in the Ligue 1 and they managed to find the net in every single game this season, while only Paris SG, Lyon, and Monaco scored more goals thus far. On the other side, their defense is looking pretty good recently, conceding just one goal in the previous five Ligue 1 matches.
In the previous round of the French Ligue 1, The Olympians hammered Metz on the road, 3:0, taking 21 shots toward Metz’s goal (eight on target), and having a ball on their feet for 67% of the time. They took the lead in the 18th minute when Florian Thauvin scored with a beautiful left-foot curling shot, and in the 36th minute, he assisted Luiz Gustavo to make it 2:0 with a great cross from the right wing. The third goal arrived in the 71st minute after a lovely team play and Lucas Ocampos’ cool finish.
The 24-year old winger Florian Thauvin is playing in a tremendous form this season, and he is the team’s leading scorer with seven goals in 15 appearances, while the winger Lucas Ocampos, the midfielder Morgan Sanson, and a striker Clinton N’Jie bagged five goals each thus far. Florian Thauvin is also Marseille’s best assist-maker with six dishes, while the attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet added four assists to his account in 10 apps this season along with one goal.
The manager Rudi Garcia doesn’t have any serious injury problems among the squad, and he can field his best eleven against Montpellier on Sunday evening, hoping for another positive result.
MONTPELLIER vs. MARSEILLE – Match Prediction
This one will be quite interesting to watch with Montpellier’s brilliant defense on one side, and Marseille’s lethal attack on the other side. I expect to see a tight game and a great battle between two talented teams. It’s going to be difficult to predict the final outcome, but I believe we’ll see at least a goal on both sides in this one.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-116)
