Another weekend and another round of Ligue 1 fixtures, with this weekend’s offering having a lot to live up to after the last round of games provided many closely-fought spectacles. The talk of the weekend will be the highly-entertaining clash in French football most famous and historic match, and we will be surely satisfied to get just some of that drama for the coming games in the 2017/18 Ligue 1 season.
In this matchup, we first take a look at Dijon, who finally got their first win in nearly two months in their last fixture, take on Nantes, who continued their excellent form and rise to the top-end of Ligue 1 with another win. The other match will see Guingamp, who was the side that lost to Nantes last weekend, host Amiens, who managed a plucky win over Bordeaux in their last fixture.
Dijon vs Nantes
3-Way: 1: Dijon +179; X: +231 Draw; 2: Nantes +200 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Dijon -112; Nantes +108
Total +2: Over -132; Under +120
Dijon
Dijon recorded their first win since August in a clash at the bottom of the Ligue 1 table away at Metz. The away side opened the scoring within ten minutes, with Cedric Verrault left unmarked to arrow a header into the back of the net from a corner. Metz came back with a number of headered crosses of their own, forcing two great saves from Dijon goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet, until the third headed effort passed the keeper to equalize just before an exciting first half came to a close. Similar to the first half, Dijon scored early in the second half with Dijon stealing the ball from the opposition, finding its way to Sliti who ran with the ball towards the defense, performed some impressive step-overs around a defender to find space and successfully aimed a shot into the opposite corner. Dijon was then well on to their win, and a red card for an opposition player all but confirmed victory
It was a decent performance from a team that needed a win, against another desperate side in a thrilling game of football. That being said, without the red card for Metz, the outcome may have been slightly different, and that can also be said for Dijon goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet who was excellent throughout making some top-class saves to deny their opponents. The win takes Dijon to 18th position, still a relegation spot, but level on points with all sides up to 15th place, so the three points have made things look a little less bleak for The Mustards.
Manager Olivier Dall’Oglio will be without centre back Wesley Lautoa with a fractured foot, but will otherwise have a full squad.
Nantes
Claudio Ranieri’s men continued their heroic Ligue 1 run with 2:1 home win over Guingamp with an early and a late goal. The first goal came after nine minutes as defender Chidozie Awaziem, on loan from FC Porto, produced a great header from a corner to open the scoring and his account in Ligue 1 football. With a couple more chances, and limiting their opposition to few, Nantes went into half-time earning their lead, and they should have made a two-goal cushion as Valentin Rongier went through on goal but was denied by a good save. However, Guingamp did eventually equalize with a through ball and a clever finish, but an 86th-minute winner came from Nantes as Abdoulaye Touré’s long-shot slipped through the opposition keeper’s hands and past the goal-line.
Nantes’ win now means that their recent form reads as six wins and two draws, which has taken them to the third position, just two points behind Monaco. Compared to their peers at the top of the table, the eight-times Ligue 1 Champions method has been somewhat unorthodox, scoring around just a third of the teams above and below them; although they have conceded similar to half of their goals. This is no coincidence, however, with Nantes set out to only score when they need to, not having played a match with more than one goal difference since the opening day of their season.
Claudio Ranieri will be without a number of players, including left-midfielder Kayembe (cruciate ligament rupture), forward Yacine Bammou (hamstring), centre-back Nicolas Palois (sprained ankle), left-midfielder Alexander Kacaniklic (foot) and midfielder Samuel Moutoussamy (hamstring) all through injury.
Dijon vs. Nantes – MATCH PREDICTION
If Dijon struggled to overcome Metz, they’ll struggle to get past a stern Nantes defense. In addition, Nantes’ recent form in the Ligue 1 has been excellent, and I can’t see any other result than a Nantes win, although it will probably be a low scoring affair.
MY PICK: Nantes to WIN (+200)
Guingamp vs. Amiens
3-Way: 1: Guingamp -133; X: +280 Draw; 2: Amiens +524
Spread -1: Guingamp +131; Amiens -133
Total +2.5: Over +120; Under -128
Guingamp
Although Guingamp managed an impressive goal against a tricky Nantes defense, they still came out as losers at the Stade de la Beaujoire. Nantes dominated the first half, getting an important early goal from a corner that Guingamp failed to clear. In a match where Guingamp had few chances, their first attack of note was in the 70th minute as Abdoul Camara was found with a through ball from teammate Marcus Coco, and then cleverly finished into the right corner. Unfortunately for the away side as they were on the edge of a good point, their goalkeeper Karl Johnsson let a shot slip through his fingers and legs and into the back of the net for the winning goal.
The loss shouldn’t concern Guingamp too much, as they simply came up against a very resilient defense, and they would have got a good result were it not for a poor mistake from the goalkeeper. Furthermore, Guingamp is now in a respectable 11th place on the Ligue 1 table, and have a great opportunity to improve on that placement in their next match.
Manager Antoine Koumbaré will be without Jonathan Martins Pereira with a calf injury, but will otherwise have a full squad selection.
Amiens
Amiens had reason to celebrate last weekend as they held on to a 1:0 win against a strong Bordeaux side. The win must partly be given credit to Amiens goalkeeper Regis Gurtner, who made some fantastic save throughout the ninety minutes, although he had luck on his side as Bordeaux wasted some great opportunities. Bordeaux was the side on top in each half, but the only goal of the game came from Guy N’Gosso as he managed to squeeze the ball through the opposition keeper’s legs from a narrow angle.
Although it was a lucky win, Amiens will take it as it ends their run of three losses in a row, and also helped them avoid dropping into the bottom three. One huge reason for concern will be Amiens continued inability to score goals, with the joint worst scoring record in the Ligue 1 with just five goals in their nine matches. Amiens will really need forward players like Gael Kakuta, who was often a threat in their last match, to step up to the plate and become a regular goal-scorer.
Manager Christophe Péllisier will have a full squad roster for Saturday’s match.
Guingamp vs. Amiens – MATCH PREDICTION
Guingamp seems to find it much easier than Amiens to score at the moment, especially considering that they got a goal past probably the best defense in the league at the moment, Nantes. On the other hand, Amiens are struggling for goals, and add to that that Guingamp are at home, and I think they will be good enough to get the win.
MY PICK: Guingamp to WIN (-133)
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