The 12th round of the French Ligue 1 brings us some entertaining duels, and in this preview, we’ll take a closer look at two games set for Saturday, November 4th, 2017, when Nantes meets Toulouse at Stade de la Beaujoire, while Troyes goes on Strasbourg at Stade de l’Aube. Don’t waste your time and check out our betting picks and predictions for these two encounters, here on GetMoreSports.
NANTES vs. TOULOUSE
3-Way: 1: Nantes +116; X: +223 Draw; 2: Toulouse +400 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Nantes +106; Toulouse -111
Total +2: Over +112; Under -118
NANTES
Nantes is certainly a pleasant surprise of the season so far, as The Canaries are laying at the fifth spot of the French Ligue 1 table after the first 11 rounds with 20 points, a 9:8 goal difference, and a form of LWDWW. They’ve lost in the last round at Dijon, 1:0, after they’ve won three times in their previous four encounters. At home, Nantes won three games in a row, achieving a 3-1-1 record with a 4:2 goal difference, while on the road they recorded three wins, one draw, and two defeats with a 5:6 goal difference.
The Canaries are playing pretty well from the start of the season with Claudio Ranieri at the helm, and they’ve created 86 scoring chances with 75% of an average pass accuracy. The 27-year old striker Emiliano Sala is the team’s leading scorer with two goals in ten appearances, while the right-back Leo Dubois is a top assistant with two dishes in nine Ligue 1 apps. Two central midfielders, Adrien Thomasson and Abdoulaye Toure, both played in all 11 matches so far, scoring a goal each, while Toure added one assist to his name. Defensively, the team is doing a great job, recording 43 defensive actions per game, and winning 46% of aerial duels.
The manager Claudio Ranieri can count on all players for the next match with Toulouse, besides the striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson who’ll be sidelined for at least a month with a meniscus tear.
TOULOUSE
Toulouse is another team with a good form recently, as they’ve earned eight points in the last four rounds, beating Angers on the road, 1:0, and Amiens at home, 1:0, while they drew with Guingamp, 1:1, and with St. Etienne at home, 0:0, in the previous round of the French Ligue 1. They are currently at the 10th spot of the table with 15 points and an 11:15 goal difference.
The 28-year old Swedish winger Jimmy Durmaz is the team’s top scorer with three goals in seven appearances, while the 26-year old striker Andy Delort bagged two goals in 11 apps, adding two dishes and 11 key passes to his name. Another Swedish forward Ola Toivonen is still goalless in 9 appearances this season, and the fans are expecting more from him in the following rounds. Toulouse’s players created only 65 scoring chances so far, and they are the worst in the league in this category. However, their finishing job was decent, as they took advantage of these opportunities, scoring 11 times in the same number of rounds.
The manager Pascal Dupraz is still without his best player Jimmy Durmaz, as the winger is struggling with a groin strain since September 21st. The 25-year old centre-back Steven Fortes is also sidelined with knee problems.
NANTES vs. TOULOUSE – Match Prediction
This is one of those “hard to predict it” games, as both teams are in a good form recently with some excellent work at the defensive end. The last five matches between these two sides were finished in the under, but who knows, maybe this time we’ll see some goals on both ends. I expect to see a close game even if we get a high-scoring match, so I’ll go with a draw in this one, as I just cannot separate these two teams.
MY PICK: Draw (+223)
TROYES vs. STRASBOURG
3-Way: 1: Troyes +190; X: +252 Draw; 2: Strasbourg +185 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Troyes +102; Strasbourg -103
Total +2.5: Over +108; Under -111
TROYES
After a heavy defeat at home in the 10th round against Lyon, 5:0, Troyes lost the second game in a row to Caen on the road in the previous round of the French Ligue 1. They lost all key battles on the field in the first half against Caen, while they were unlucky to level the game in the second half, failing to find the net for the second time in a row. Troyes is at the 15th spot of the Ligue 1 table after the first 11 rounds with 12 points, and a 9:15 goal difference.
Four players scored two times so far – the striker Adama Niane, and midfielders Stephane Darbion, Saif-Eddine Khaoui, and Samuel Grandsire. Troyes’ players created 74 scoring chances, making seven assists, and scoring nine goals in total. They averaged a solid 77% of pass accuracy, while their shot accuracy simply isn’t good enough (39%). The team recorded 44 defensive actions per game, winning 43% of aerial duels.
The manager Jean-Luis Garcia can count on all key players for the next match, while the 40-year old Benjamin Nivet is still doubtful due to a foot injury. The experienced midfielder made one assist in four appearances this season.
STRASBOURG
Le Racing is playing a quite entertaining football from the start of the season which didn’t pay off, as the newcomers are at the 18th place of the Ligue 1 table after the first 11 rounds with 10 points and a 13:20 goal difference. However, Strasbourg hasn’t lost in the previous four games, recording three draws (against Angers, Marseille, and Dijon), and one win over Nice. This sequence of positive results could be a huge boost before they continue their fight against relegation.
Strasbourg’s defense is pretty fragile this year, and only Metz conceded more goals in the first 11 games. They recorded 38 defensive actions per game, winning 45% of aerial duels and 38% of tackles. On the other end, Le Racing is creating a lot of scoring chances (101) and they surely have to continue this trend. The 26-year old striker Nuno Da Costa, who arrived from Valenciennes this summer, is the team’s top scorer with three goals in ten appearances, while the winger Martin Terrier and a midfielder Dimitri Lienard added two each. The 26-year old right-back Kenny Lala, who joined the club from Lens in the last transfer window, is the best assistant with three dishes in ten apps.
The manager Thierry Laurey will have to work on team’s defending for sure, while he doesn’t have any serious injury worries. All players are ready to go, besides the left-back Abdallah Ndour who’s sidelined with a fractured leg.
TROYES vs. STRASBOURG – Match Prediction
These two clubs played in the French second tier last season, and both teams won at home. This time they meet each other in the French Ligue 1, and I expect to see a close battle where one goal could decide a winner.
MY PICK: Under 2.5 Goals (-111)
