Ligue 1 Preview Gameweek 6

Guingamp v Gazélec Ajaccio
Date 19/09/2015 – Venue – Stade du Roudourou – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Another struggling team is Gazélec, who remain at the bottom of the table with four consecutive defeats and are the only team yet to score a league goal. They travel to the Stade du Roudourou to face a Guingamp team that has really turned things around; back-to-back wins and two clean sheets against Marseille and Nice have lifted them to 14^th in the league standings. With no relevant injury or suspension issues, Guingamp will see this match as the perfect opportunity to make it three wins in a row.

Gazélec appear to be heading back to Ligue 2 immediately if they cannot revitalise their team. They have failed to beat both Troyes and Angers and will struggle if they cannot beat the teams around them. Having already played PSG, Lille and Monaco they will look at some upcoming fixtures as must-win games and will need to put in stronger performances, starting with the game at Guingamp on Saturday. No new team news means Thierry Laurey has a number of options for his team’s visit to the north-west.

Bordeaux v Toulouse
Date 20/09/2015 – Venue – Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux – Kick Off 13:00 (UK Time)

Bordeaux’s league position of 12^th doesn’t do them complete justice as they are unbeaten in four games after playing Saint-Étienne, Lille, Nantes and PSG. They host a Toulouse side who are 16^th in the table and yet to show any sign of consistency. Bordeaux have a tough game in the Europa League against Liverpool before this match and the result could well swing the expectation on Les Girondins for Sunday. Henri Saivet was sent off in the game against PSG, so he could miss the game at the weekend depending on whether he serves his suspension in the Europa League or the league.

Toulouse need a win to avoid falling into the bottom three, as Troyes have a very winnable game at Angers and they would go above Les Pitchouns. With some tough fixtures approaching, Toulouse could find themselves in a difficult position as the games arrive thick and fast with mid-week matches next week. This may be Pavle Ninkov’s last week of being sidelined, while Francois Moubandje and William Matheus are ruled out with injuries.

Monaco v Lorient
Date 20/09/2015 – Venue – Stade Louis II – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

Lorient earned their first win of the season in the previous game versus Angers but face a tough test at the Stade Louis II on Sunday afternoon. Monaco haven’t hit the ground running this season, winning just two of the five games; they face a trip to Anderlecht in the Europa League before this match and fatigue may prove to be an issue for some of the players. They are 8^th in the league and will need to start winning games as they have already fallen five points behind PSG at the top of the table. Jeremy Toulalan has been sidelined with thigh strain but star player Joao Moutinho could make his return following his injury.

The visitors have no injury news or suspensions so have almost a full squad to choose from to face Monaco. They will need to be at their best to even contend with this Monaco side but after getting their first win of the season out of the way, there will be less pressure on Les Merlus.

Saint-Étienne v Nantes
Date 20/09/2015 – Venue – Stade Geoffroy-Guichard – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

Saint-Étienne host Nantes in what will be a good game between to sides that have had decent starts to the Ligue 1 campaign. Saint-Étienne have risen to 4^th in the table after three successive victories and will look to get their fourth against a Nantes side who started well, but two defeats has seen them drop to 10^th. The hosts have no concerns over the team that played in the victory at Montpellier last weekend, but a home tie in the Europa League against Rosenborg beforehand means Christophe Galtier may make some changes to his team selection.

Despite being unbeaten in their first three matches, Nantes have lost the following two and face a difficult game at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. They have failed to score in the last two games and will need to alter this, while maintaining the resilient defensive line from the opening matches. It will be tricky without the suspended Kolbeinn Sigborsson and Adryan who were both dismissed in the loss to Rennes, and Remy Riou’s injury is also a problem for Les Canaris.

Marseille v Lyon
Date 20/09/2015 – Venue – Stade Vélodrome – Kick Off 20:00 (UK Time)

The big match this weekend is at the Stade Vélodrome where Marseille face Lyon. Both sides were involved in European ties this week with Marseille facing Groningen away from home and Lyon having a tough match with a draw at Gent on Wednesday night. Marseille are up to 11^th after their 4-1 thrashing of Bastia and they will look to earn back-to-back victories for the first time this season on Sunday evening. Lassana Diarra is reportedly going to be rested against Groningen so will be available for this match, but other than this Marseille have no concerns pending their Europa League game.

Lyon are in 6^th place following an inconsistent start to the season and will need to get back to winning ways to put themselves back into the European spots. Les Gones will be uplifted by the news that Nabil Fekir’s surgery was successful but he will still be out until the last couple of months of the season. While Alexandre Lacazette’s back problem looks to have gone away, the visitors have no new concerns over their team.