French Ligue 1 Preview: Round 11

CelticKing · Oct 31, 2008

French Ligue 1 Preview: Round 11

Lyon regained a three point lead in Ligue 1 in midweek as Marseille's poor run of form continues and no other side can mount a consistent run of results to challenge the reigning champions, who host Le Mans on Sunday evening. Other highlights this week include struggling Saint-Étienne's trip to Marseille and PSG going to Nice.

Saturday 1st November (kick-off times CET)

1900 AJ Auxerre vs. Valenciennes FC
1900 Lille OSC vs. FC Nantes
1900 FC Lorient vs. Grenoble Foot38
1900 AS Nancy-Lorraine vs. Girondins de Bordeaux
1900 OGC Nice vs. Paris Saint-Germain
1900 Toulouse FC vs. SM Caen
2100 Olympique Marseille vs. AS Saint-Étienne

Sunday 2nd November

1700 Le Havre AC vs. AS Monaco
1700 Stade Rennais vs. FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
2100 Olympique Lyon vs. Le Mans UC

AJ Auxerre vs. Valenciennes FC

Auxerre approach this match in completely contrasting form to struggling Valenciennes. AJA secured a fine point at home against Lyon last weekend and could have had more. Jean Fernandez’s side exacted their revenge over Le Mans in midweek with an excellent win.

Burgundy has been difficult place for sides to go and secure good results this season, although AJA are likely to be without a number of important players. Quercia, Jelen, Chafni and Coulibaly will all be missing due to injuries while Berthod is champing at the bit to make his return from injury.

VA snapped a six game losing streak in midweek yet their scoreless draw against Rennes was hardly inspiring. Kombouaré’s side will travel south without any new injury problems. The northern club are sweating heavily over the fitness of Audel, Khiter, Belmadi and Mater.

Lille OSC vs. FC Nantes

Two points from their last two games is not what Lille have deserved from a couple of very sound performances. Rudy Garcia’s side failed to close out a two goal lead against Caen last weekend while they were kept at an arm’s length by Grenoble in midweek. Les Dogues will again be missing Tafforeau and Frau, however changes from the midweek squad are expected as Michel Bastos and Rio Mavuba will return to the starting eleven.

Nantes are currently the scrappers of Ligue 1, with last weekend’s 3-0 defeat against Lorient very much an exceptional poor performance under Elie Baup. Lorient took all of their chances against les Canaris to make the score look worse than it perhaps should have been. Baup’s men responded well in midweek, holding Marseille to a 1-1 draw.

Bekamenga was sent-off in that fixture and sits out due to a one match ban while Marvéval also picked up a knock. Tall, Guillon, Das Neves, Abdoun and Cappoue are expected to sit out.

FC Lorient vs. Grenoble Foot38

From nowhere, Lorient have found a terrific touch in front of goal, scoring seven goals in their last two matches. The 3-0 victory over Nantes last weekend was a pleasant surprise while the 4-1 victory over Saint-Étienne in midweek will have had head coach Christian Gourcuff in raptures.

Jallet and Le Pen are hopeful of making comebacks for les Merlus, however first team players Saifi, Ewolo and Audard are all missing due to injury.

Nothing can be taken for granted on Saturday as Grenoble are proving to be tenacious opponents. Against Lille in midweek, Mecha Bazdarevic’s side surrendered a great deal of possession yet rarely allowed their opponents a clear shot on goal. Feghouli comes back into contention for the newly promoted club but Mainfroi is still injured.

AS Nancy-Lorraine vs. Girondins de Bordeaux

The signs coming from Nancy are growing increasingly anxious as one point from their last two matches has left Pablo Correa’s men dangerously close to the relegation zone. Monsef Zerka explained to the press earlier this week that there can be no room for any further excuses and that Nancy simply have to start winning any way they can.

It would be a turn-up if Nancy were to threaten Bordeaux on Saturday as les Girondins have looked very secure of late, with a 4-0 victory over Le Havre in midweek comprising of arguably their most complete 45 minute spell of the season.

Neither club has registered any new injury or suspension problems after the midweek games, although Nancy’s concerns remain the greater as Chretien misses out again due to injury.

OGC Nice vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Nice may not have got the three points in midweek that their performance in Caen deserved but les Aiglons will have taken heart from an impressive performance. Loïc Rémy looked a persistent danger to the home defence and was rewarded as he converted a late penalty for the second match running to claim a point for Nice.

Security has been stepped up in the Mediterranean city ahead of the visit of PSG, with the authorities hoping to confine the fireworks to on the pitch. Nice will have a full squad aside from Coulibaly with which to threaten their opponents.

PSG make the long trip south for the second time in a week, with Paul Le Guen’s side hoping that this encounter is as profitable as their adventure last Sunday, which ended in a 4-2 victory over Marseille. Still hungover from that triumph, PSG were then beaten in midweek by a tactically more astute Toulouse side. Le Guen’s squad is without Pancrate and Arnaud due to injury.

Toulouse FC vs. SM Caen

Ruthlessly efficient, Toulouse are the snipers of the French league; quiet and deadly, striking with minimal fuss when it is least expected. Few would have predicted that Alain Casanova’s side would be sitting in third spot so deep into the league season but that is the position they occupy, with the victory over PSG in midweek typifying their strengths.

Casanova will expect to be able to name a strong squad for Saturday’s fixture, although there are a number of squad players carrying knocks. Left winger Fode Mansaré also remains a doubt.

Franck Dumas was raging with Caen’s performance in midweek and will have been less than enamoured by Eric Gerets very public courting of top scorer Steve Savidan, which the striker has responded positively to. Still, the former Valenciennes man is too important to be dropped, particularly as Caen are without a number of attacking threats including Ben Kalhfallah, Raineau and Eluchans. Deroin could return.

Olympique Marseille vs. AS Saint-Étienne

Although Marseille’s record of two wins in eleven fixtures is actually worse than Sainté’s recent performance over a similar timescale, it is les Verts who are considered the crisis club in France at present. Back-to-back home defeats against Grenoble and Lorient were unexpected and have left Laurent Roussey’s job as head coach of the Loire club looking very uncertain indeed.

A trip to the Stade Vélodrome is the last thing that les Verts need at present, particularly with a UEFA Cup clash against Rosenborg approaching fast in midweek. Ilan, Landrin and Dabo are all expected to sit out for Sainté while Bayal Sall is banned.

Marseille also have European commitments next week that they will wish to keep an eye on. Head coach Eric Gerets, who has bemoaned his side’s lack of firepower since offloading Djibril Cissé, has a number of doubts going into this clash including regular starters Niang, Cheyrou and goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, who was withdrawn in the disappointing 1-1 draw against Nantes earlier this week.

Le Havre AC vs. AS Monaco

Desperately trying to keep in touch with the main pack of sides in Ligue 1, Le Havre, last season’s Ligue 2 champions, have found the transition to top flight football tough to make. Hoarau has not been sufficiently replaced in attack while their depth is nothing like as good as many sides in the competition.

This was illustrated perfectly in midweek as Bordeaux absolutely pasted the Normandy club 4-0 at the Stade Chaban Delmas. Jean-Marc Nobilo elected to make a number of alterations in his side, leaving out key midfielder Nicolas Dieuze and paying for it heavily. Expect Le Havre, who beat Valenciennes at home last weekend, to rotate back to their strongest eleven.

Ricardo, head coach of Monaco, would love to be able to play his strongest squad at the moment but injuries make this impossible. Lucas Bernardi is expected to sit this match out while there remains a relatively lengthy list of blows for the Monegasque side. Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over Nancy will have done a great deal to boost confidence.

Stade Rennais vs. FC Sochaux-Montbéliard

Will it be 12th time lucky for Sochaux, who remain the only winless side in Ligue 1? Just glancing through the team lines, it would appear that this is unlikely. Les Lionceaux’s tigerish attitude against Lyon in midweek nearly yielded yet another draw but frustration would get the better of Dalmat and Perquis late on in that fixture after OL had scored, leading to red cards for both players.

A red card, of course, equates to a one match ban so both sit out the trip to Brittany. Also absent will be Frédéric Duplus, who is out with a long-term problem acquired against Lyon. He joins Pichot, Maurice-Belay and Faty on the physio’s table.

The hosts have few such injury problems as they expect to welcome back Asamoah Gyan in the near future. Esteban has received a set-back in his return from injury while Mbia and Marveaux are still missing for Rennes.

Olympique Lyon vs. Le Mans UC

Claude Puel will have been delighted to see his Olympique Lyon side snap a three match winless run in Ligue 1 to extend their lead at the summit of the table back to three points again. Les Gones toiled to beat Sochaux 2-0, with Karim Benzema absolutely influential to their victory. The striker, who may be rested for this game due to the key Champions League match against Steaua on Wednesday, scored a fantastic shot from outside the box before laying on Delgado for his first of the season.

OL were short of a number of players in that match due to injury and will expect to welcome back Juninho, Ederson and goalkeeper Lloris back to the fold on Sunday evening.

Le Mans, who will have close to a full squad to select from, with only Coutadeur a doubt at present, boast the best away record in Ligue 1. It will be put fully to the test against Lyon on Sunday.

Unfortunately for Yves Bertucci, Le Mans have not proven to be so strong at home, losing out 2-0 to Auxerre in midweek.
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French Ligue 1 Preview: Round 11

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French Ligue 1 Preview: Round 11

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