The French Ligue 1 goes on this weekend with the Round 13 matches, and in this preview, we would like to take a closer look at two clashes set for Saturday, November 18th, 2017, when Strasbourg hosts Rennes at Stade de la Meinau, while Toulouse welcomes Metz at Stadium Municipal.
Down below you’ll find some interesting tips along with our betting predictions, so don’t waste your time and join the action here on GetMoreSports.
STRASBOURG vs. RENNES
3-Way: 1: Strasbourg +152; X: +244 Draw; 2: Rennes +241 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Strasbourg +142; Rennes -141
Total +2.5: Over +120; Under -125
STRASBOURG
Le Racing continued to struggle defensively, as they lost 3:0 at Troyes in the previous round of the French Ligue 1. The 26-year old striker Joia Nuno Da Costa was sent off in the 31st minute of the game because of the high boots, and Strasbourg’s defense hold out until the halftime, but just ten minutes in the second half were enough for Troyes’ players to get a 2:0 lead. With a man down and two goals down, it was a dead end for Strasbourg, who had a couple of chances to cut down the lead. The 25-year old Algerian striker Idriss Saadi, who joined the club this summer from Cardiff City, missed the best opportunity when his header hit the crossbar.
After the first twelve rounds of the French Ligue 1, Le Racing is sitting at the 18th place with 10 points, a 13:23 goal difference, and a form of LDWDD. They were unbeaten for five games in the row before they lost to Troyes. Joia Nuno Da Costa is the club’s top scorer this season with three goals in 11 appearances, while the 20-year old winger Martin Terrier and a 29-year old midfielder Dimitri Lienard added two goals each. The 26-year old right-back Kenny Lala, who arrived from Lens this summer, is a top assistant with three dishes in 11 matches this season.
The manager Thierry Laurey will miss the left-back Abdallah Ndour, who’s still sidelined due to a fractured leg, while all other players are healthy and ready to go, including Nuno Da Costa whose red card ban has been revoked.
RENNES
The Red and Blacks are on the winning path as they’ve won the third game in the row beating Bordeaux at home, 1:0, in the previous round of the French Ligue 1. In fact, they’ve won all three games with the same result, 1:0. The credit goes to a resilient Rennes’ defensive line, but they were pretty lucky against Bordeaux to keep the clean sheet. They were also lucky in the 12th minute of the game when Jeremy Toulalan scored an own goal to give Rennes a crucial advantage. The Red and Blacks didn’t have the best of game, and they managed to create just a couple of decent chances for 90 minutes. However, they earned three points at the end, and that’s really important.
Rennes is laying at the 10th spot of the French Ligue 1 table after the first 12 matches with 15 points, a 14:15 goal difference and a form of WWWLL. At home, they earned seven points with a 5:6 goal difference and a 2-1-3 record, while on the road they grabbed eight points with a 9:9 goal difference and a 2-2-2 record. The 23-year old midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud, who arrived from Lens this summer, is playing brilliantly so far, topping the team’s scoring chart with four goals in 12 appearances. The 23-year old striker Firmin Mubele is another key player with three goals and two assists in 11 apps this season.
The manager Sabri Lamouchi doesn’t have serious injury worries, and he can field his best eleven against Strasbourg. The 19-year old striker Ismaila Sarr (torn tendon) is the only doubtful player.
STRASBOURG vs. RENNES – Match Prediction
Strasbourg’s defense is the second-worst in the French Ligue 1, while Rennes didn’t concede for three games in a row. Enough for me to put my money on both teams to score here. I believe Le Racing will find the net in front of the home fans, and I hope Rennes will do it, too, as they scored nine times on the road so far.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-110)
TOULOUSE vs. METZ
3-Way: 1: Toulouse -123; X: +285 Draw; 2: Metz +459 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Toulouse -130; Metz +125
Total +2.5: Over +112; Under -118
TOULOUSE
Toulouse is having another up and down season, and after four consecutive games without a loss, they were beaten by Nantes, 2:1, in the previous round of the French Ligue 1. After the first twelve games, they are sitting at the 12th spot of the Ligue 1 table with 15 points, a 12:17 goal difference and a 4-3-5 record. At home, they earned 10 points with a 5:3 goal difference and a 3-1-1 record, while on the road, they recorded five points, a 7:14 goal difference and a 1-2-4 record. Toulouse is a pretty tough team in front of the home fans, so they will look to continue this trend against the bottom side Metz.
The 28-year old winger Jimmy Durmaz is leading the team with three goals in seven appearances, while the 26-year old striker Andy Delort bagged two goals in 12 games this season. Delort is the team’s top assistant with three dishes, while the 21-year old defensive midfielder Alexis Blin made two assists in ten appearances. Toulouse created only 70 scoring chances thus far, and they are the worst team in the league in this category.
The manager Pascal Dupraz will miss his best player Jimmy Durmaz due to a groin strain, while the centre-back Steven Fortes is sidelined with knee problems.
METZ
The Maroons are at the bottom of the French Ligue 1 table after the first twelve rounds with just three points, a 5:24 goal difference and a horrible 1-0-11 record. They are playing poorly at both ends of the field, and obviously, they have serious psychological problems. In the previous game against Lille in front of the home fans, they were a better team for 45 minutes, missing a couple of great opportunities to grab a lead. However, one mistake was enough, and after Jonathan Rivierez late tackle inside the box, Lille scored an opening goal from a penalty kick. Since then, it looked like a completely different eleven guys played for Metz.
Frederic Hantz was sacked after another debacle, and Jose Pinot will be the interim coach for the next game. He’ll try to shake things a bit, so we can expect to see some changes in the style of play. There are some good players in Metz’s squad, and they need to step up as soon as possible. The 29-year old winger Mathieu Dossevi, who’s loaned from Standard Liege, has already made four assists in eight appearances, while the 29-year old Nolan Roux, who arrived from Saint Etienne this summer, is the team’s leading scorer with three goals in 12 games this season.
Jose Pinot can count on all players for the clash against Toulouse, as there are no injury problems among the squad.
TOULOUSE vs. METZ – Match Prediction
Toulouse is certainly a favorite in this one, but I think they will need their best game to beat Metz on Saturday evening. The visitors need a positive result, and they’ll do everything to get at least a point against Toulouse, who conceded just three goals at home. Maybe it’s time to see some goals in their net, although Metz scored only five goals in 12 matches.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (+104)
