Toulouse lost in a thrilling encounter with reigning Ligue 1 champions Monaco and will hope for a little more luck against Montpellier, who looked a little limp but managed to drag out a 1:0 win versus Caen. The other match will see Bordeaux who gained a solid point when playing Angers will pit themselves against a poor Metz side who put in a terrible performance at home to Guingamp last time out.
Toulouse vs. Montpellier
3-Way: 1: Toulouse +133; X: +229 Draw; 2: Montpellier +280
Spread -0.5: Toulouse +135; Montpellier -143
Total +2.5: Over +127; Under -137
Toulouse
Toulouse came out as 3:2 losers in a thrilling encounter with Monaco in their first game of the new Ligue 1 season. An early goal from an exquisite turn-and-volley by Zinédine Machach following a well-drilled corner meant that Monaco were chasing the win for most of the first half, opening up Monaco’s defense enough to add a second.
The second Toulouse goal came in the 53rd minute, long after Monaco’s equalizer through Jemerson in the first half, as centre-forward Andy Delort smashed in a low-effort from the edge of the box. Ultimately, Toulouse lost as Monaco began to find their rhythm as they put two goals past goalkeeper Alban Lafont.
Manager Pascal Dupraz will be encouraged by what he saw at the weekend, as his side managed to compete away against the current Ligue 1 champions, scoring two goals in the process. The two goals will be extremely satisfying considering that Toulouse scored on average less than a goal-a-game last season.
Pascal Dupraz will be with a full squad roster for Saturday’s game.
Montpellier
La Paillade will be contented with their first 3 points under their belt in their first game, but may have wished for slightly more convincing score-line against a poor Caen side. The only goal of the game was scored in the 58th minute by Souleymane Camara, through a cushioned header to the opposite corner from a looping cross by Kévin Bérigaud, which was enough to see the game through. The goal for Camara also meant that he equaled last year’s goal tally of one.
Other than the goal, Montpellier rarely seriously threatened their opponents goal, which may be a reason for concern, but with new signing and centre-forward Giovanni Sio coming back from suspension and set to make his debut against Toulouse, he may add the sorely needed edge to Montpellier’s attack.
Unfortunately recent transfer developments have caused devastating news for Montpellier fans, as creative force Ryad Boudebouz was sold to Real Betis for 7 million Euros. Toulouse may be in trouble if no one steps up to fill in the void left by Boudebouz after he scored eleven and assisted nine times last season.
Michel Der Zakarian will have a full squad selection for Saturday’s game.
Toulouse vs. Montpellier- MATCH PREDICTION
Although Toulouse conceded three times in their opening game of Ligue 1, it was against superior opposition who seemed unnerved for long parts of the game, therefore I believe Toulouse’s will be a tighter unit for games to come.
Montpellier on the other hand seem to be lacking in creativity, especially after the departure of Ryad Boudebouz, and may face a difficult season ahead.
Overall, I would back Toulouse to win but only by a fine margin; only their home advantage is swaying me towards their victory.
MY PICK: Toulouse to Win (+133)
Bordeaux vs. Metz
3-Way: 1: Bordeaux -200; X: +359 Draw; 2: Metz +710
Spread -1.5: Bordeaux +133; Metz -139
Total +2.5: Over -130; Under +120
Bordeaux
Manager Jocelyn Gourvennec will be satisfied with his side’s 2:2 draw away at Angers, especially as they lost all three of their opening games last season, but perhaps not under the circumstances of how the dramatic game unfolded. After conceding the first goal, Bordeaux replied with a goal from Younousse Sankhare after teammate François Kamano found the goal-scorer with a pass from near the corner flag.
Bordeaux then added a second in the 52nd minute through Alexandre Mendy, who finished with a jumping-kick after a simple attacking move. Les Girondins were seemingly coasting through the remainder of the game, until they conceded with just two minutes to go from a cheap rebounded goal.
Further disappointment in the Europa League qualifiers saw Bordeaux knocked out by Videoton on away goals. But Bordeaux will just have to look at the last season for inspiration, with a 6th place finish and in addition have now gone unbeaten in the last 8 Ligue 1 games. Additionally, Bordeaux still has Jonathan Cafu and Diego Rolan, neither of whom did feature in the last game, and will add to Bordeaux’s attacking force when they come into the fold.
Bordeaux has been busy in the transfer window recently with two major additions in Brazilians Cafu (winger) and Otavio (defensive-midfielder), costing 7.5 and 5 million Euros respectively. A recent departure was Mauro Arambarri who left on a free transfer to Boston River.
Jocelyn Gourvennec will have a full squad selection for Saturday’s game.
Metz
Metz frustrated in their first game of the 2017/18 Ligue 1 campaign as they lost 3:1 to Guingamp in front of a disappointed home crowd. Les Graoullys started well as Nolan Roux headed in from a great cross from Renaud Cohade, but ultimately crumbled on their home turf as Guingamp put three past Metz easily.
The result will be concerning for manager Philippe Hinschberger who will look at last season’s conceded goal tally of 72, the highest in the league, and wonder if he has made the necessary additions to solidify his defense. One positive is that new signing Nolan Roux got straight on the score-sheet on his debut, and should be a reliable goal-scorer in future games.
In the last few days Metz has made one addition in the central-midfielder with Cafu from FC Lorient, while defensive-midfielder Cheick Doukouré has left for Levante UD.
Philippe Hinschberger will have a full squad selection to choose from for the weekend’s game, other than 17-year-old Vincent Thill who is suffering from muscular problems.
Bordeaux vs. Metz – MATCH PREDICTION
Metz will be down in the dumps after a convincing loss to a team they really should be aiming to compete with in Guingamp. On the other hand, Bordeaux will be riding high on confidence after going unbeaten 8 games in a row in the league. Furthermore, despite giving up a win in the last game, they will still know they could have just as easily won the game, especially now against easier opposition at home.
Bordeaux is likely to win, but there is an even greater chance of there being a number of goals as both teams have shakey defenses.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 goals (-130)
