The French Ligue 1 2017/18 season played out the third round of games last weekend which featured some goal-fests and excellent strikes over the ten games between twenty teams. We also gained a better idea of which teams may go on to chase those European spots and who may slip into a relegation battle
Firstly, Bordeaux, who played in a highly-entertaining draw against Lyon, will play new boys Troyes, who will have to pick themselves up from a 1:0 loss to Nantes. In the other game Caen, who won their first game of the season against Lille, will host Metz, who were simply beaten by a better side in Monaco.
Why not take a look at our season preview for an in-depth analysis of Ligue 1’s summer activity?
Bordeaux vs. Troyes
3-Way: 1: Bordeaux -189; X: +384 Draw; 2: Troyes +790
Spread -1.5: Bordeaux +127; Troyes -137
Total +2.5: Over -125; Under +122
Bordeaux
Jaws were continuously dropped for a gripping game in Lyon, as Bordeaux came back from 3:1 down to draw 3-all. It was Lyon who took the initiative with an incredible first goal as the Bordeaux keeper was lobbed from the halfway line, and a second was added from a cross thirteen minutes later. Luckily for Bordeaux, before it got ugly, Sergi Darder of Lyon was sent off to give Les Girondins the man advantage. And Bordeaux initially took advantage with a long-range deflected strike from Brazilian forward Malcom.
Despite the red card, Lyon still held a grasp on the game as they scored another goal through a fantastic free-kick. Thankfully for the Bordeaux faithful, their team recovered a point with two late goals, with the final equalizing goal coming from Malcom once again, who fizzed the ball past the keeper from range and in off the underside of the crossbar.
Malcom had an excellent game throughout and was a constant thorn in the side of Lyon’s defense until the dying seconds of the game. Further positives will be their recent unbeaten run, with one win and two draws from their first games in Ligue 1, and a likely win in their next fixture. Saying that manager Jocelyn Gourvennec may be disappointed that they didn’t take greater advantage of a ten-man Lyon side.
Jocelyn Gourvennec will have a full squad selection.
Troyes
Troyes were unable to extend their unbeaten run as they lost disappointingly 1:0 to a ten-man Nantes side. Troyes may have hoped for more from the game after a rash, high and late challenge from defender Chidozie Awaziem saw him receive a straight red card. And Troyes initially looked to take advantage when Samuel Grandsir went close to scoring after an attempted lob was fantastically clawed away by the Nantes keeper. This was about as close as they came as they failed to make the man advantage count and always looked like the less likely side to score. Eventually, it was the Troyes defense that faltered and they conceded an 81st-minute goal from a cross and volley.
Four points from their first three games in the new Ligue 1 season is very impressive for a newly promoted side, but they may have felt they could have got more from a game where they played the majority with a man more. With just three shots on target, manager Jean-Louis Garcia will hope that it was just a rare bad day at the office.
Manager Jean-Louis Garcia will have a full squad selection for Saturday’s game.
Bordeaux vs. Troyes – MATCH PREDICTION
Both sides have had a decent start to the Ligue 1 campaign, so it is difficult to separate these sides based on form. Although, Bordeaux has managed seven goals in their first three games; Troyes have scored three.
Overall, with their Ligue 1 history and the home advantage, I would predict a narrow win for Bordeaux. Still, there is not much value to the -189 offered on hosts to win, which is why I am taking the over as my safe pick.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 goals (-125)
Caen vs. Metz
3-Way: 1: Caen -109; X: +265 Draw; 2: Metz +400
Spread -0.5: Caen -115; Metz +110
Total +2.5: Over +106; Under -114
Caen
Relief will be the word on the lips of Caen and their fans as they managed a surprise 2:0 win away at Lille in round 3 of Ligue 1 campaign, which ended their losing streak. Just six minutes in Caen scored through Damien Da Silva as he rose high to head in from a corner. Following the goal, Caen looked dangerous, but it took until the 69th minute to add a second from another cross, which was precisely headed down by Ronny Rodelin for teammate Ivan Santini to slam in from close range. The game ended and signified the first time that Caen had won at Lille since 1991.
Caen’s first two goals could be seen as a rarity as these were their first and second goal of the season. With just one shot on target, it could be said that they were clinical, but it is not likely you will see Caen score more than one when your previous results and the fact that they scored just 36 goals last season in Ligue 1. On the other end of the pitch, Caen kept a clean sheet, meaning that they have conceded just twice this season so far, an impressive record for a relegation candidate.
Recently, Caen has signed one player by the name of central midfielder Jan Repas from NK Domzale in a one-million-euro deal; they will hope he can add creativity to their side.
Manager Patrice Garande will have a full squad selection for Saturday’s game.
Metz
Metz lost their third game in a row in the Ligue 1, as they lost respectably to AS Monaco with a 1:0 scoreline. Within a relatively uneventful first half, Metz had a couple of half-chances but lacked the quality to impose themselves in the match. The second half was similar to the second, with a couple more chances coming Metz’s way, including breaking away towards goal at one point of the game but couldn’t find the finish to challenge Subasic, an event that epitomized Metz’s day.
Eventually, Monaco scored a winner through Falcao in the 78th minute, but against a good side, it was at least a positive performance from Les Grenats and one that they can build on. Despite the improvement, Metz has still scored just one goal this season and must be looking at investing in their attack before the transfer window is over, especially if they fail to score against Caen who is seen to be at a similar level in quality.
Philippe Hinschberger will be with a full squad roster for the game on Friday.
Caen vs. Metz – MATCH PREDICTION
With both sides being relegation candidates, the two sets of fans will look to this as a massive six-pointer game, and a win could give either side the belief they need to go on and get the points required to stay up in the Ligue 1.
Caen and Metz have had a poor start to their Ligue 1 campaigns, but with Caen having come off the back of a good win, and Metz seemingly unable to score, a Caen win looks more likely.
However, what looks even more likely is a low scoring game, with the teams collectively scoring three goals this season.
MY PICK: Under 2.5 goals (-114)
