The French Ligue 1 goes on this weekend with the Round 14 matches, and in this preview, we would like to take a closer look at two games set for Saturday, November 25th, 2017, when Montpellier welcomes Lille at Stade de la Mosson, while Troyes meets Angers at Stade de l’Aube.
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.
MONTPELLIER vs. LILLE
3-Way: 1: Montpellier +125; X: +235 Draw; 2: Lille +295 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Montpellier +127; Lille -125
Total +2: Over -120; Under +118
MONTPELLIER
Once again, Montpellier’s defensive approach paid off after they earned a goalless draw against mighty Lyon in the previous round of the French Ligue 1. They were outplayed for the most of the time, but they’ve managed to keep the focus on their defense, and deservedly get a point at Groupama Stadium. It was their second draw in a row, and the fifth of the season.
After the first 13 rounds of the French Ligue 1 Montpellier is in the eighth spot of the table with 17 points, a 9:8 goal difference, and a form of DDLWW. At home, they have earned nine points out of seven matches with a 5:4 goal difference and a 2-3-2 record, while on the road they have earned eight points with a 4:4 goal difference and a 2-2-2 record. The one-time French champions have scored just two goals in the first half so far, while 92% of their Ligue 1 matches had under 2.5 goals in total.
Three players are topping the team’s scoring chart with two goals apiece – the striker Giovanni Sio, and the wingers Souleymane Camara and Isaac Mbenza. The 33-year old experienced midfielder Stephane Sessegnon added one goal and one assist to his name in 11 appearances this season, while the striker Kevin Berigaud is the team’s leading assist-maker with two dishes in five appearances, although he spent just 273 minutes on the pitch.
The manager Michel Der Zakarian doesn’t have any injury worries, and he can count on all players for the next game against Lille.
LILLE
The Great Danes had a busy schedule last weekend when they’ve played two matches in three days, recording one win and one defeat. On Friday, they’ve beaten Saint Etienne, 3:1, in front of the home fans, while they were hammered by Amiens on the road on Monday, 3:0. It was their seventh defeat of the season already, after two consecutive victories against Saint Etienne and Metz, although they had the ball on their feet for 66% of the time.
Lille is in the 19th place of the French Ligue 1 table after the first 13 rounds with 12 points, a 12:19 goal difference, and a 3-3-7 record. At home, they have earned eight points with an 8:10 goal difference, and a 2-2-3 record, while on the road they have recorded one victory (against Metz), one draw, and four losses with a 4:9 goal difference. Just like their next opponent, Lille was pretty inefficient in the first half when they’ve scored three of their 12 goals this season.
The 22-year old forward Nicolas Pepe, who arrived this summer from Angers, is the team’s leading scorer with three goals in 11 appearances, while the defensive midfielder Thiago Mendes added two goals in eight matches this season. The 22-year old talented winger Anwar El Ghazi is the best assist-maker with three dishes in 13 appearances, also adding one goal to his name. The 20-year old striker Ezequiel Ponce, who’s loaned from AS Roma, bagged his first goal of the season against Saint Etienne.
The manager Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t have any serious injury worries, so he can field his best eleven against Montpellier on Saturday evening.
MONTPELLIER vs. LILLE – Match Prediction
The numbers say it’s going to be another tight match with no more than two goals in total, but I won’t place my bet on goals here. Montpellier is a tough opponent, while the visitors will have to search for the positive result, so I’ll go with a draw in this one.
MY PICK: Draw (+235)
TROYES vs. ANGERS
3-Way: 1: Troyes +229; X: +240 Draw; 2: Angers +160 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Troyes +131; Angers -125
Total +2.5: Over +123; Under -125
TROYES
Troyes was beaten by Dijon on the road, 3:1, in the previous round of the French Ligue 1, although they had a lead in the first half, and a magnificent opportunity to double the lead when they couldn’t find a half-empty net. It was their third loss in the last five Ligue 1 matches and the third defeat on the road from the start of the season.
After the first 13 rounds of the French Ligue 1, Troyes is sitting at the 14th spot with 15 points, a 13:18 goal difference and a 4-3-6 record. They have earned eight points at the home soil with a 6:9 goal difference and a 2-2-3 record, while on the road they’ve recorded two victories, one draw, and three losses with a 7:9 goal difference. They’ve scored just three goals in the first 45 minutes while bagging 10 times after the break.
The 24-year old striker Adama Niane and a 22-year old attacking midfielder Saif-Eddine Khaoui are topping the club’s scoring chart with three goals apiece in 12 appearances this season, while Hyun-Jun Suk, Stephane Darbion, and Samuel Grandsir added two goals each thus far. The midfielder Samuel Grandsir is a team’s top assistant with three dishes in 13 matches this season.
The manager Jean-Louis Garcia doesn’t have any injury worries, as all players are healthy and ready to go.
ANGERS
Angers earned another draw on the road against Guingamp, 1:1, in the previous round of the French Ligue 1, and it was their fifth draw away from home this season, second in the last five Ligue 1 matches. They are still undefeated on the road, and they will try to continue this trend against Troyes on Saturday night.
After the first 13 rounds of the French Ligue 1 Angers is laying at the 16th place with 14 points, a 17:20 goal difference, and a 2-8-3 record. They are still winless at the home soil where they have earned just three points out of six games with a 6:13 goal difference, while on the road it was a different story as they have recorded two victories and five draws with an 11:7 goal difference.
The 25-year old striker Karl Toko Ekambi is a team’s leading scorer with five goals in 12 appearances, while midfielders Angelo Fulgini and Thomas Mangani added two goals each thus far. Ekambi and Mangani are the team’s best assist-makers with three dishes apiece, while Fulgini made two assists in 12 matches this season.
The manager Stephane Moulin can count on all important first-team players for the next match, so he can pick up his best eleven.
TROYES vs. ANGERS – Match Prediction
This is probably the most difficult game to predict in the 14th round of Ligue1. The visitors are still undefeated on the road, and it could be their first loss. However, Troyes isn’t playing quite well recently, so I think we’ll see a tight match, and I believe we won’t get a lot of goals in this one.
MY PICK: Under 2.5 Goals (-125)
