The French Ligue 1 continues this weekend with the Round 13 matches, and in this preview, we’ll take a closer look at two exciting games set for Sunday, November 19th, 2017, when Caen welcomes Nice at Stade Michel d’Ornano, while Lyon hosts Montpellier at Groupama Stadium.
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.
CAEN vs. NICE
3-Way: 1: Caen +179; X: +229 Draw; 2: Nice +200 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Caen -110; Nice +106
Total +2: Over -137; Under +131
CAEN
Caen is still without a draw after the first 12 games of the season, as they recorded six wins and six losses. Besides them, only Metz didn’t play a draw thus far. Caen is currently in the seventh spot of the French Ligue 1 table with 18 points, an 8:13 goal difference, and a form of LWLLW. At home, they won 12 points out of six games with a 5:4 goal difference, while on the road they recorded six points with a 3:9 goal difference. In the previous round, Caen was heavily beaten by Marseille, 5:0, and it was a real kick in the teeth for their fans.
In twelve Ligue 1 matches, Caen’s players had some issues with finishing, as they converted just eight out of 93 scoring opportunities. Their shot accuracy was awful so far (just 29% of their shots was on target), and only Amiens is worse in the league. The 28-year old Croatian striker Ivan Santini is the team’s leading scorer with three goals in 11 matches, while the 27-year old winger Ronny Rodelin bagged two goals in 12 appearances. There is no player in Caen’s squad with at least two dishes on the account, as four players made one assist apiece.
The manager Patrice Garande has some problems with injuries among the squad, and he cannot count on three players for the next game, as Jeff Louis (knee injury), Alexander Djiku (Achilles tendon problems), and Youssef Ait Bennasser (hamstring injury) are all sidelined.
NICE
After five defeats in a row, Nice finally ended up the losing string with a 1:0 victory over Dijon in the previous round of the French Ligue 1. They were a far better team, and they should win by a bigger margin, but Dijon’s goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet was tremendous with some magnificent saves, especially in the first half. The only goal came from the penalty kick in the 40th minute when Mario Balotelli managed to score against Reynet. Balotelli took five shots on Dijon’s goal, and he was the main threat for the most of the time, but in the 89th minute of the match he made a stupid tackle and received a red card, so he will miss the next game against Caen on the road.
The Eaglets are sitting at the 15th spot of the French Ligue 1 after the first twelve rounds with 13 points, a 14:19 goal difference, and a 4-1-7 record. They earned 10 points at the home stadium out of seven games, while on the road they recorded one victory and four losses with a miserable 1:9 goal difference. Mario Balotelli is a team’s leading scorer with six goals in eight appearances, while the 24-year old striker Alassane Plea bagged three goals in 12 apps this season. The 24-year old winger Pierre Lees Melou, who arrived from Dijon this summer, is a leading assistant with three dishes in 12 games, and he spent 1040 minutes on the pitch.
The manager Lucien Favre is still without Wylan Cyprien (cruciate ligament rupture), and Mickael Le Bihan (broken tibia and fibula), while Mario Balotelli will serve his red card suspension.
CAEN vs. NICE – Match Prediction
Just once in the previous 12 rounds of the Ligue 1 Caen played a game where both teams scored. On the other side, Nice bagged just one goal on the road in five matches, and they will be without their top scorer Mario Balotelli. However, I expect to see at least one goal in both nets, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a goalless draw here. After all wins and losses, Caen will have to draw once.
MY PICK: A Draw (+229)
ADDITIONAL PICK: Both Teams to Score (+100)
LYON vs. MONTPELLIER
3-Way: 1: Lyon -200; X: +420 Draw; 2: Montpellier +800 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1.5: Lyon +121; Montpellier -123
Total +3: Over +112; Under -118
LYON
The Kids had some fun in the previous round of the French Ligue 1 when they hammered Saint Etienne on the road, 5:0. However, the 24-year old attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir crossed the line after he scored the fifth goal for his team, showing his jersey to the home fans, who just had to interrupt the game deeply provoked with Fakir’s celebration. Lyon had a tremendous game, but in the end, they had to escape from the field.
After the first twelve rounds, The Kids are sitting at the third spot of the Ligue 1 table with 25 points, a 32:15 goal difference and a 7-4-1 record. They have won four games in a row, and they’ve managed to keep the clean sheet in the previous three matches. At home, Lyon earned 14 points with a 17:9 goal difference and a 4-2-0 record, while on the road they recorded three victories, two draws and one defeat with a 15:6 goal difference. Nabil Fekir is certainly Lyon’s best player so far with 11 goals and three assists in 11 appearances, while the 24-year old striker Mariano Diaz, who joined the club this summer from Real Madrid, bagged nine goals in 12 matches this season. The 23-year old winger Memphis Depay added six goals and three dishes to his name in 11 apps, and he’s the team’s top assistant along with Nabil Fekir and Kenny Tete.
The manager Bruno Genesio was delighted with team’s performance against Saint Etienne, but he was also disappointed with Fakir’s act. For the next match against Montpellier, he cannot count on Kenny Tete (knee injury), and Pape Cheikh (sprained ankle).
MONTPELLIER
The one-time French champions are in the eighth place of the Ligue 1 table after the first twelve rounds with 16 points, a 9:8 goal difference and a form of DLWWD. In the previous round, they scored one of the most beautiful goals in the French Ligue 1 this season, when Giovanni Sio cheaped the ball over the keeper after magnificent team play (I suggest you find the goal on Internet, it was a real beauty). However, they couldn’t hold the lead, and it was a 1:1 draw in the end against tough Amiens side.
Three players are topping the team’s scoring chart with two goals apiece – the wingers Souleymane Camara and Isaac Mbenza, and the striker Giovanni Sio. The 29-year old striker Kevin Berigaud is the top assistant with two dishes in five appearances. Montpellier’s players created 109 scoring chances (eighth in the league), finding the net just nine times, so they will definitely have to improve their finishing as soon as possible. On the other side, they recorded 42 defensive actions per game (third in the league), winning remarkable 50% of aerial duels. Their defense is the best in the league, along with Paris SG’s.
The manager Michel Der Zakarian doesn’t have any injury worries, as all players are healthy and fit, so he can field his best eleven against Lyon on Sunday afternoon.
LYON vs. MONTPELLIER – Match Prediction
On one side we’ll have Lyon’s attack, which is the third-best in the Ligue 1, while on the other side it will be the league’s best defense. It’s going to be a tricky job to guess the final outcome, but I believe Lyon is in a better form, and they will win this one at the home soil in both halves.
MY PICK: Lyon to Win Half Time /Full Time (+114)
