Ligue 1 Preview Gameweek 4

There are a number of key matches this weekend, with potential title contenders playing each other and a few teams needing wins to avoid another week at the bottom of the table.

Mark Sheppard takes you through the latest preview for the weekend’s games in Ligue 1

Guingamp v Marseille
Date 28/08/2015 – Venue – Stade du Roudourou – Kick Off 19:30 (UK Time)

Guingamp go into the fourth week of Ligue 1 at the bottom of the league, on the back of three defeats. They are one of four teams yet to score a goal this season and the 3-0 loss at Bastia last week creates questions over their defence. The known injuries for Guingamp are Nicolas Benezet and Lars Jacobsen but other than them there are no concerns.

Marseille travel to the Stade du Roudourou with the impressive 6-0 victory over Troyes still on their minds; meaning they will be full of confidence. New manager Michel has sparked energy into a struggling Marseille side and Les Olympiens will be hoping to continue this revitalised form at Guingamp on Friday evening. The only doubt for Marseille is Brice Dja Djedje who is recovering from a thigh injury but Michel can successfully choose the same starting eleven who won last week.

Caen v Lyon
Date 29/08/2015 – Venue – Stade Michel d’Ornano – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

Caen will be looking to get back amongst the leaders on Saturday after the disappointing loss at the Allianz Riviera last weekend. They go into the game just three points behind leaders PSG and with the champions away at Monaco on Sunday; Caen will want to close the gap. The hosts could still be without Emmanuel Imorou, Alaeddine Yahia and
Jordan N’Kololo for this match.

Lyon will also want to take the opportunity to close the gap on the leaders, as their start to this Ligue 1 campaign isn’t reflective of their 2^nd place finish last year. Despite beating Guingamp, Lyon have struggled after drawing with Lorient and losing last week to Rennes and they need to start getting more points on the board soon. There are no new injury concerns this week for Lyon, but the selection of the front three could be decisive against a solid Caen defence. Hubert Fournier is yet to find the winning formula even with Alexandre Lacazette, Claudio Beauvue, Nabil Fekir and Mathieu Valbuena at his disposal; quality players who need to start scoring goals for their team.

Angers v Nice
Date 29/08/2015 – Venue – Stade Jean Bouin – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

This game could be an exciting spectacle at the Stade Jean Bouin, as Angers are yet to lose a game or even concede a goal; a structured defensive line being vital to their early success back in Ligue 1. They will see this match against Nice as another winnable one, as the visitors are struggling to find consistency in their opening games. Angers have no concerns over their players and can name the same side that beat Gazélec last weekend. Cheikh N’Doye will be looking to put in another strong performance on Saturday after his two goals against Gazélec which won the match for his side.

Nice are struggling to prevent goals this season and it has become their downfall, conceding six in spite of finding the net fairly comfortably themselves. They will need to take their chances this week because a resilient Angers side can make it difficult for the opposition to break down their defence. Nice will be without Kevin Gomis and Maxime Le Marchand who are both sidelined with calf injuries. Gomis has featured in all three games for Nice so far and he could be a big miss for Les Aiglons.

Lille v Gazélec Ajaccio
Date 29/08/2015 – Venue – Stade Pierre-Mauroy – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Lille host Gazélec in a game that neither team can afford to lose as they both sit in and around the relegation zone, yet to score a goal. Lille are 16^th and Gazélec are 18^th, meaning three points are much needed for both sides as it will lift them out of danger for the time being. Regardless of their league position Lille’s defence has been a strong point this season, only conceding one goal from the first three games against PSG, Monaco and Bordeaux. They need to find something in front of goal to enable them to win games, and they will see this match as one to kick-start their season and find some quality attacking football. Herve Renard has no new injuries or suspensions but he might go for a squad rotation in order to find the goals his team desperately need.

Gazélec’s opening performances suggest they are heading for a relegation battle, but they could take advantage of a Lille team that is also finding it difficult at this early stage of the season. Le Gaz have no concerns within the team so the usual starting eleven could be selected; the team’s performances are just lacking confidence after failing to beat the other two promoted sides. They can take something from their game against PSG as they only lost 2-0 at the Parc des Princes, meaning they are capable of pulling off some results this season.

Reims v Lorient
Date 29/08/2015 – Venue – Stade Auguste Delaune – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Reims will look to bounce back after losing their 100% record at Nantes last weekend, and after beating Marseille in their last home game they will be the favourites to come out on top in this match. They could still be without goalkeeper Kossi Agassa who suffered a hamstring injury in the previous game, so Johnny Placide is expected to come into the side.

Lorient have had a tough start to the season, earning two points from their games against Lyon, Bastia and Saint-Étienne. This game may be able to give Lorient an indication of where they are this season, against a side they may be close to come the end of the campaign. Majeed Waris goes into the second week of his absence but otherwise Lorient have no injury news and are able to field another strong side.