Ligue 1 Preview Gameweek 11

Montpellier v Bastia
Date 24/10/2015 – Venue – Stade de la Mosson – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Bastia have lost six of their last seven games and this is a huge chance for Montpellier to get three points on the board to possibly lift them out of the relegation zone. The hosts are 18^th still but moved a point closer to safety last weekend with a goalless draw against Bordeaux. Montpellier already had a number of players recovering from injury but they have been dealt a blow this week with Joris Marveaux being ruled out with a thigh injury and Paul Lasne with a cruciate ligament injury; Lasne has been involved in nine of Montpellier’s league matches.

The visitors’ poor run of form has seen them plummet to 15^th in the league and this is a potentially difficult game given a lack of confidence in the team. Christopher Maboulou is a doubt for the trip to Montpellier and this is just one of a few injuries Bastia are having to deal with this season.

Reims v Monaco
Date 25/10/2015 – Venue – Stade Auguste Delaune – Kick Off 13:00 (UK Time)

Reims and Monaco are 8^th and 10^th in the league respectively and this is a must-win game for both sides at the Stade Auguste Delaune. The hosts have all week to prepare for this match whereas Monaco have a Europa League match against Qarabag to play before Sunday’s trip to Reims. The home side have narrowly lost their last two games to Lyon and Caen and they will be looking to repeat some of their earlier form to get a result against a possible title contender. Anthony Weber has sidelined with an injury and Mohamed Fofana is a doubt after picking up a knock.

The gap between Monaco and PSG is already 12 points and they can’t let that grow if they want to put up any sort of challenge for the Ligue 1 title. It is a difficult game at Reims but Monaco are unbeaten in four games and they will be looking to take the three points back to the south coast. Wallace is suspended from this match after his dismissal last weekend against Lyon and the likes of Nabil Dirar and Adama Traore are still doubtful.

Bordeaux v Troyes
Date 25/10/2015 – Venue – Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

Bordeaux face Troyes at home and both sides are in need of the three points; Troyes are 19^th and yet to win this season while Bordeaux’s inconsistent campaign leaves them 14^th in the league standings. The hosts face a Europa League game against Swiss side Sion before this game but with it being at home it isn’t too much of a difficult task to be prepared for the league game on Sunday. Andre Biyogo-Poko’s suspension is the only relevant team news for Bordeaux.

It is difficult to see where a win is going to come from for Troyes because they have failed to beat even the teams expected to be around them at the end of the season. Back-to-back defeats against Guingamp and Nantes means they won’t be feeling confident travelling to European contenders Bordeaux. Troyes are missing a few players with Rincon, Stéphane Darbion and Matthieu Saunier battling injuries.

Lille v Marseille
Date 25/10/2015 – Venue – Stade Pierre-Mauroy – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

Lille and Marseille have both had disappointing starts to this Ligue 1 season and the three points could do the world of good for either side. The hosts have moved up to 13^th after a win versus Montpellier and a draw against Guingamp. Marko Basa is injured for Lille and Stoppila Sunzu is completing his suspension this weekend after the last-minute dismissal against Guingamp.

Marseille are injury and suspension-free but they face a trip to Sporting Braga in the Europa League on Thursday; a game they will hope to win but avoiding injuries to their key players will be a necessity. Any hopes of a revival were dashed as Les Olympiens have failed to win in any of their last five outings; they are now only four points above the bottom three in 16^th place which is a relatively unknown league position for them.

Paris Saint-Germain v Saint-Étienne
Date 25/10/2015 – Venue – Parc des Princes – Kick Off 20:00 (UK Time)

The game of the weekend is at the Parc des Princes once again as unbeaten leaders PSG host 4^th place Saint-Étienne. Before this match PSG face one of the toughest games on their season calendar as they play Real Madrid at home in the Champions League. It will be difficult to win both of the matches but Les Parisians will be hoping a defeat in Europe won’t lead to them losing their unbeaten streak in Ligue 1. Kevin Trapp is not expected to start ahead of Salvatore Sirigu while Marco Verratti and David Luiz could be sidelined with injuries.

Visitors Saint-Étienne also face a European game on Thursday; an away Europa League match at Ukrainian side Dnipro. A win at the Parc des Princes at the weekend would put Les Verts in a great position as they would close the gap on PSG to four points. Taking maximum points is not out of reach for Saint-Étienne because they have won six of their last eight games, despite suffering a minor setback of consecutive losses in between. The injury concerns are a worry for Saint-Étienne as Kevin Malcuit, Jean-Christophe Bahebeck, Jeremy Clement and Florentin Pogba are likely to be absent.