Ligue 1 Preview Gameweek 11

This weekend in Ligue 1 sees a couple of title race clashes and battles for the European spots while some teams in desperate need of a win have a better opportunity to get three points on the board.

Mark Sheppard rounds up the latest action in Ligue 1.

Caen v Nantes
Date 23/10/2015 – Venue – Stade Michel d’Ornano – Kick Off 17:30 (UK Time)

The first game of the weekend is at the Stade Michel d’Ornano where 3^rd place Caen take on 12^th place Nantes; a potentially exciting game as Caen have won three in a row and Nantes have won two in a row, the latter having a game in hand. The hosts are without Jonathan Delaplace who is still recovering from a hamstring injury after spending a month on the sideline and Emmanuel Imorou is also absent with a back and thigh problem.

Nantes have earned six points from their last two outings against Lille and Troyes; keeping two clean sheets and they could be higher up in the table if it wasn’t for the abandonment of their game with Nice the other week. They will be a real test for Caen but the home side have only lost one of their home games this season. Nantes are without Remi Gomis and Alejandro Bedoya through injury and illness while Oswaldo Vizcarrondo wasn’t included in the squad for the last game.

Lyon v Toulouse
Date 23/10/2015 – Venue – Stade de Gerland – Kick Off 19:30 (UK Time)

Lyon will be looking to get back to winning ways straightaway following the draw with Monaco with what seems a comfortable home game against Toulouse. Les Gones are 6^th and have only lost once in their last seven games and will hope to get another result against a Toulouse side who haven’t won since the opening day of the season. They will be feeling slightly despondent after their 2-1 loss to Zenit in the Champions League on Tuesday. Lyon still have a long injury list including the more recently sidelined Jeremy Merel, Milan Besivac and Aldo Kalulu but there are no forced changes from the side that drew with Monaco last weekend.

The majority of Toulouse’s points this season have come from draws, albeit against top sides but they have failed to beat the teams they should be beating, a fault that has seen them fall to 17^th. The draws against Monaco, Reims and Marseille are overlooked by the dropping of five points to Gazélec Ajaccio and Angers in the last two matches. They are still without Somalia and Mauro Goicoechea for this match but Dominique Arribage may change his team to get through this bad patch.

Lorient v Rennes
Date 24/10/2015 – Venue – Stade du Moustoir – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

Rennes are in 7^th place and will be looking to go four points clear of Lorient with three points at the Stade du Moustoir, whereas Lorient in 9^th will know a win would take them above Rennes in the league standings. The home side won four in five matches before an impressive result against Marseille so they could well overturn a Rennes side who have failed to win in their last five games. A big loss for Lorient is Majeed Waris who has been one of their key players this season but Wesley Lautoa and Ibrahima Sy are also doubts for this match.

Rennes’ form has slipped over the last few weeks after being in and around the top spot in the early stages of the season. They haven’t won any of their last five despite going eight matches unbeaten and they lost only their second game of the season at home to Nice last time around. They are clearly missing Paul-Georges Ntep up front and Edson Mexer, a key player in their defence and it doesn’t look like they will be available for the game on Saturday either.

Angers v Guingamp
Date 24/10/2015 – Venue – Stade Jean Bouin – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

With three wins in their last three Angers are playing some great football and after moving up to 2^nd in the table they are one of few teams to be putting pressure on leaders PSG. They seem to be outplaying some of the league’s most established sides and they continue to go strong. The hosts have no new injury news so Stephane Moulin may name the same starting eleven that defeated Toulouse last weekend.

Guingamp have improved slightly after their bad start and are unbeaten in three; 11^th in the table. They will be a stern test for Angers and three points would be huge for Guingamp as it would take them up quite a few places. They have earned fantastic results against Marseille, Nice, Monaco and Lille but Angers will pose a different kind of threat that they will be weary of. The visitors are still without Christophe Kerbrat and Mana Dembele but there are no new concerns over the team.

Gazélec Ajaccio v Nice
Date 24/10/2015 – Venue – Stade Ange Casanova – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

If ever there was a one-sided game on paper it’s this one as Nice travel to Gazélec and their recent form couldn’t be more different. Gazélec are still rooted to the bottom of the table without a win and they have only scored four goals in the ten games played so far. They are also conceding goals every game and this is a worry going into this game against Nice who have scored 17 in their last four matches. The hosts only have Issiar Dia sidelined with a calf injury, meaning Thierry Laurey has almost a full squad available for selection.

Nice will be looking to overwhelm Gazélec with their attack as Hatem Ben Arfa is now the league’s top goal scorer with seven and Valere Germain also has four goals to his name. It is difficult to predict any result other than a Nice win as their attack-minded play has got them to 5^th in the table. There are no injury concerns or suspensions over Les Aiglons’ side meaning their starting eleven for this match is a very predictable one.