Ligue 1 Preview Gameweek 14

Ligue 1 returns a few days after France take on England at Wembley. The weekend’s fixtures will be a bit of a melancholy occasion after last week’s events in Paris but the games will no doubt feature a mark of respect to those who tragically lost their lives.

Nice v Lyon Date 20/11/2015 – Venue – Allianz Riviera – Kick Off 19:30 (UK Time)

The first match to kick-off at the weekend is at the Allianz Riviera where Nice host Lyon. Nice haven’t been enjoying their best run of form recently but a win against Marseille last time around saw them move up to 6^th in the Ligue 1 standings. They were scoring heaps of goals a few weeks back but they have since dried up, something they need to return to beat high-flying Lyon. Nice have no new injury concerns but Ricardo Pereira and Wallyson Mallmann picked up bookings in the last game, so are suspended alongside Mathieu Bodmer.

Lyon are now 2^nd in the league despite being ten points behind leaders PSG, but their recent form has seen them go five games unbeaten, winning their last three. Les Gones face a tough test at the Allianz Riviera but if they keep up their performance from the last few matches it should be enough to take all three points. Maxime Gonalons is a doubt with a back injury for Lyon, as is Samuel Umtiti who is recovering from a knock.

Lorient v Paris Saint-Germain Date 21/11/2015 – Venue – Stade du Moustoir – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

PSG will be looking to extend their winning run to eight games but face a difficult game at Lorient, who have got their own unbeaten run going. Lorient are undefeated in five games and went into the international break on the back of an emphatic 4-1 victory over Troyes. Their form has lifted them to 7^th in the table and they will fancy their chances to cause an upset in this match. Majeed Waris and Walid Mesloub are both suspended for the home side whilst Wesley Lautoa is still getting over an injury.

The visitors are yet to lose in this campaign and their lead at the top of the table grows each week as the performances get stronger. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in Sweden’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Denmark over the international break and he will be looking to continue his fine run in Ligue 1. Marquinhos isn’t certain to feature in this game, but Javier Pastore’s calf injury keeps him out of this one and Marco Verratti’s ankle problem will keep him sidelined for a month.

Bastia v Gazélec Ajaccio Date 21/11/2015 – Venue – Stade Armand Cesari – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Three consecutive wins for Gazélec have nearly got them out of the bottom three and they are faced with another great chance to pick up some points against Bastia, who like Gazélec, have lost seven times already this season. The visitors travel to Bastia knowing a win would take them out of the relegation zone; an early confidence boost for Thierry Laurey’s side. Gazélec will be without Issiaga Sylla who is suspended while Amos Youga and Gregory Pujol are still injured.

Bastia ended a horrible string of results by picking up four points in their last two games against Caen and Lille and they must get the three points from this encounter to avoid being dragged towards the danger zone. A win could take them to a place in mid-table, whereas a loss could see Bastia in the bottom three by the end of the weekend. The latest team news for Bastia is Florian Marange being ruled out with a minor thigh injury.

Guingamp v Toulouse Date 21/11/2015 – Venue – Stade du Roudourou – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Hosts Guingamp are sitting 12^th in the league and face Toulouse, who they really should be beating on home soil. Guingamp went five games unbeaten before the loss to Caen in the last round of fixtures. A win would only take them up one or two places but it would put some pressure on the teams battling for a European space. Jocelyn Gourvennec has no new injuries or suspensions in his team but he may make some alterations to regain that winning formula.

It’s all doom and gloom for Toulouse at the moment as they have fallen into the relegation zone; only winless Troyes are keeping them from the bottom of the league. They have gone 13 games without a win now and their poor form has continued since the opening day of the season. Adrien Regattin is suspended for Les Pitchouns and Tongo Doumbia’s thigh injury is still keeping him on the touchline.

Monaco v Nantes Date 21/11/2015 – Venue – Stade Louis II – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Monaco and Nantes are 9^th ad 10^th in the league respectively and a win for either side could see them into the top six. This is where Monaco should be, but an inconsistent start to the season means they are 15 points behind leaders PSG before the halfway stage in the campaign. Their list of absentees is rather long, with Fabinho suspended for this game and Ivan Cavaleiro and Lacina Traore being added to the list most recently. Fabio Coentrao is still pending fitness but he was back in training last week.

Les Canaris have won four of their last six games; a much needed run of results to keep them out of a relegation battle for the time being. The top half of the table is so tight that a win for Nantes could take them to 4^th in the standings if results go their way. Lucas Deaux and Oswaldo Vizcarrondo are out of this game through suspension, but there are no new injuries in the team.

Montpellier v Reims Date 21/11/2015 – Venue – Stade de la Mosson – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Montpellier are unbeaten in four matches and are just hanging on to their spot outside of the relegation zone with Gazélec piling on the pressure. A win in this match against Reims can take Montpellier above them in the table, as they would build a bit of a gap from the bottom three. Montpellier have no concerns over the side that beat Nantes in the last round of fixtures, meaning Rolland Courbis may name an unchanged side.

Reims are going through a terrible patch as they were near the top of the table roughly two months ago but five straight defeats have seen them plummet to 14^th, just three points above the danger zone. They travel to Montpellier in desperate need of a win but with confidence at a low, this is going to be a difficult game for Reims. Prince Oniangue has recently been ruled out with a shoulder injury and is unlikely to feature; the Congolese international has played in ten of Reims’ games this season.

Troyes v Lille Date 21/11/2015 – Venue – Stade de l’Aube – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

A surprising bottom of the table clash goes ahead at the Stade de l’Aube, where bottom of the table Troyes host 16^th place Lille. Nothing but a win is acceptable for Lille as they need to kick-start their campaign with three points; even a draw could see Lille fall into the bottom three if Montpellier and Gazélec earn maximum points. Sofiane Boufal is suspended for Les Dogues and Yassine Benzia is out with a thigh problem.

This is a make or break game for Troyes as they need to win on home soil, against a struggling Lille side to avoid the gap to safety stretching to a possible 11 points. Troyes must win their home games against the teams around them in the league to stand any chance of survival. Jonathan Martins Pereira, Quentin Othon and Matthieu Saunier are the key players sidelined for Troyes, so the players coming in will need to step up to establish themselves in the team.

Caen v Angers Date 22/11/2015 – Venue – Stade Michel d’Ornano – Kick Off 13:00 (UK Time)

Two of the surprise packages this season meet at the Stade Michel d’Ornano as Caen take on Angers. They are 3^rd and 4^th in the table respectively with just two points separating the teams, so the three points are huge and could well be season-defining in one of the games of the weekend. Caen are yet to draw a game this season but they have been winning a number of games and deservedly so. Herve Bazile and Emmanuel Imorou are the only major concerns for Caen.

Angers head into this game on the back of consecutive defeats for the first time on their return to the top flight; Monaco and Rennes beat them in the previous matches but Angers will be looking to get back on track at Caen. They have beaten stronger teams this season so it wouldn’t be a shock if the visitors took all three points on Sunday afternoon. Abdoul Camara is the only notable absentee for Angers as he is suspended.

Rennes v Bordeaux Date 22/11/2015 – Venue – Roazhon Park – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

A few weeks ago this game might have been more of a one-sided affair but since then Rennes have lacked consistency and Bordeaux have started picking up results. Les Girondins have earned seven points from the last four games and this has seen them climb to 11^th; the last result was an impressive 3-1 victory over Monaco. A similar performance to the one before the international break will definitely get them the win, but they face a very different match away from home. Andre Biyogo Poko is suspended so will not feature for Bordeaux in this match, while Cedric Carrasso and Thomas Toure are sidelined with a knee and muscular injury respectively.

Rennes’ excellent start is almost lost as they have dropped to 8^th in the league after winning just once in their last eight outings. It will be a great encounter versus a Bordeaux side growing in confidence, but a win would most probably lift the hosts back into the European spots. It is uncertain whether Abdoulaye Diallo, Paul Georges-Ntep or Edson Mexer will be involved in this match as they weren’t included in the squad in the last game at Angers.

Saint-Étienne v Marseille Date 22/11/2015 – Venue – Stade Geoffroy-Guichard – Kick Off 20:00 (UK Time)

The game with the potential to be a great encounter is at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard where Saint-Étienne play Marseille. This match would normally be one of the best on the season’s calendar but Marseille’s poor start to the season means it may be a more reserved performance from Les Olympiens. They did put back-to-back victories together but a defeat against Nice in the previous league match means Marseille are only 13^th in the table. Benjamin Mendy is suspended for Marseille and Romain Alessandrini is spending his last week on the touchline with a foot injury. These are two big misses for Michel’s side and it makes the game even tougher.

Les Verts have struggled a bit since they put together a fantastic winning streak; they have slipped to 5^th in the standings after a crushing 3-0 defeat to Lyon. They are 13 points behind leaders PSG but they are still well on track to achieving European qualification. Saint-Étienne host Marseille at a key time in the season because they are yet to get up and running this season and Christophe Galtier will be looking to take advantage. The hosts have had some bad injury news after hearing Robert Beric will miss the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury and Fabien Lemoine is doubtful after suffering a knock.