Despite PSG wrapping the title up last week, there is still plenty to play for in the French top flight heading into week 34.
PSG wrapped up the league title in the most emphatic fashion last weekend as they handed out a 7-1 thrashing to Monaco in Paris. Elsewhere, there were also wins for Bordeaux, Marseille, and Lyon as the battle for the Champions League spots rages on.
Looking ahead to this week, Nice and Montpellier clash in what should be a cracking tie while PSG travel south to Bordeaux. You’ll also want to keep an eye on Caen’s trip to Metz where we could well see a surprise.
Friday 20 April
Nantes 13/10
Draw 22/10
Stade Rennais 9/4
Nantes’ patchy form continued this past weekend as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Dijon. Not the worst result in the world, but Claudio Ranieri will be disappointed. Especially considering the position his team was in just a month or two ago. They remain winless in four league outings and have won just twice in their last 14 league matches.
Stade Rennais were on the wrong side of last weekend’s shock result as they went down 2-1 at home against Metz. This was their first defeat in eight matches and put to bed any hopes they had of finishing in the top four. Still, they’re a quality side and will want to bounce back against Nantes at the weekend. Despite their shock defeat at the weekend, I still think the visitors should be too strong here. Back them to bounce back with a win at 9/4.
Dijon 6/1
Draw 39/10
Lyon 4/10
Dijon did well to earn a draw against Nantes last week but will struggle to make the step up against a resurgent Lyon. The visitors have put their wobble behind them and are back to their effervescent best, winning five on the spin and only conceding twice (both goals came away at Marseille). They’ll blow Dijon away. Take the away side on the (-1) handicap at even money.
Saturday 21 April
Marseille 7/20
Draw 17/4
Lille 15/2
Marseille will be desperate to get into the Champions League places where they sit behind Lyon on goal difference. Rudi Garcia will be targeting this match and will demand his charges lay down a marker against one of the divisions weaker teams. Back the home side to win this comfortably. The (-1) handicap is the way to go here at 17/20.
Toulouse 12/10
Draw 43/20
Angers 5/2
Toulouse’s fixture against Caen was postponed last week due to poor weather. This leaves them in a curious position after both Troyes and Lille failed to win. They’re still one point clear of the drop zone with a game in hand as they prepare to welcome Angers to Stadium Municipal.
Angers have enjoyed a good couple of weeks in which they’ve effectively staved off any lingering relegation fears. They earned an excellent point last week at home to Nice and will look to build on the result this weekend. Toulouse aren’t in the greatest form but I do think they can come away from this tie with at least a point. Take the away team on the double-chance at 13/20.
Amiens 14/10
Draw 43/20
Strasbourg 2/1
Amiens had their four-match undefeated streak halted as they were hammered 3-0 by a rampant Lyon side at the weekend. The challenge now for Christophe Pelissier’s men is whether or not they can wrestle regain the momentum that had seen them move clear of the relegation zone in recent weeks.
Strasbourg will be just starting to look over their shoulders now. They’ve not won in eight league appearances and sit just five points clear of the bottom three. Victory this weekend is a must with fixtures against Nice, Stade Rennais, Lyon and Nantes on the horizon. There’s nothing between these two sides, take the draw for a bit of value.
Metz 15/10
Draw 9/4
Caen 18/10
Metz pulled off a shock 2-1 win over Stade Rennais last weekend to keep their extremely slim chances of survival alive. They’re now just six points away from safety with five matches left. Importantly, one of those fixtures sees them come up against Lille in what will be a vital encounter for both sides. How Metz would love to head into that tie with a bit of momentum.
They’ll fancy their chances too against Caen who have fallen off a cliff form-wise over the last few months. They’ve lost four on the spin and could face difficulty coming up against a motivated Metz XI. I really do think the hosts can win this. They’ve not won many games this season, but they do tend to put together little runs when they do – get on at 15/10.
Guingamp 3/1
Draw 36/10
Monaco 17/20
Guingamp extended their undefeated run to three matches following their 2-2 draw with Lille at the weekend. It was an extraordinary result considering that they were 2-0 down in the 90th minute. They’ve punched above their weight all season and will look to cause a major upset this weekend.
Monaco would have been bitterly disappointed with the manner in which they surrendered their Ligue 1 title at the weekend. They were absolutely thrashed by PSG with 7-1 scoreline indicative of the gap between the sides at the moment. Monaco are tipped to bounce back with victory here. Despite that heavy loss, they’re light-years ahead of Guingamp and should prevail with relative ease.
Sunday 22 April
Nice 11/10
Draw 22/10
Montpellier 11/4
This could be one of the ties of the weekend as Nice welcome Montpellier to the Allianz Riviera. The hosts would have been disappointed not to have beaten Angers at the weekend after they conceded late to earn a share of the spoils. Still, their late-season form has been nothing short of sensational as they look to secure their place as the best of the rest outside of the top four.
Standing in their way is the defensively resolute Montpellier outfit. They were perhaps surprisingly turned over 3-1 at home by Bordeaux last time out. Looking ahead, they’ll look to rebuff their defensive efforts and look to catch the talented hosts on counter. I think Nice will ensure that home ground advantage counts here. Take them to claim the points at 11/10.
St-Etienne 5/10
Draw 31/10
Troyes 57/10
St-Etienne’s fine run of form continued at the weekend as they grabbed an excellent away win at Strasbourg. They’ve now gone 11 games in the league unbeaten and will be extremely confident of defeating a struggling Troyes outfit at home on Sunday.
Troyes slipped into the automatic relegation places at the weekend following their 3-2 defeat against Marseille. They’ve not tasted victory in their last eight matches. St-Etienne actually offer really good value here at 5/10 – definitely something to add to all of your weekend multiples.
Bordeaux 47/10 |
Draw 7/2
PSG 5/10
Short and sweet – PSG showed just how good they can be with their 7-1 thrashing of Monaco at the weekend. There’s no reason to suggest that Bordeaux will be able to put up any resistance. Take the away side on the (-1) handicap here at 23/20.
Treble tipped at 5.85/1
Lyon (-1) 1/1
Marseille (-1) 17/20
Monaco win 17/20
