Ligue 1 Preview Gameweek 18

Despite PSG running away at the top of the table, Ligue 1 is becoming slightly unpredictable with the top sides struggling for form and a few of the teams at the bottom making up ground on the rest.

Rennes v Caen Date 11/12/2015 – Venue – Roazhon Park – Kick Off 19:30 (UK Time)

The first game of the weekend is at Roazhon Park where Rennes welcome Caen on Friday evening. The hosts have failed to win in their last four outings but have dropped no lower than 10^th in the league with a number of teams around them also struggling to pick up points. A win could surprisingly take them into the European spots if results go their way but they face a very troublesome side in 3^rd place Caen. Rennes may have both Gelson Fernandes and Yacouba Sylla out through suspension while Kamil Grosicki might also miss out with an ankle injury; a big miss for Les Rouges et Noirs.

Caen went on a run of four games unbeaten before losing to Lille last weekend and they will look to start building the gap between them and teams below them once again at Rennes. A win could see them move up to 2^nd and with all the European contenders facing difficult matches, this is a great opportunity for the visitors to get themselves a few points ahead. Jeff Louis is suspended for Caen but there are no further absentees in the side.

Reims v Nice Date 12/12/2015 – Venue – Stade Auguste Delaune – Kick Off 15:00 (UK Time)

Reims have gone unbeaten in three but will be disappointed with their draw against winless Troyes in the previous game. They face Nice who haven’t won in three games, but they have the potential to cause the hosts problems. Reims are only 14^th in the league and are too close to the relegation zone to be comfortable in matches, however a win would give them some space as they could move towards mid-table. Anthony Weber is still struggling with an injury so he will still be sidelined for Reims.

Les Aiglons are 8^th in Ligue 1 and know a win would definitely propel them into the European places. They will need to recover some lost form to do this though as they have failed to score in their last three outings against Toulouse, Lorient and PSG. Nice can see Reims are having difficulties of their own near the bottom of the table and they will hope to take advantage of this. Niklas Hult is suspended for the visitors while Jeremy Pied is doubtful after suffering with an adductor strain.

Lille v Lorient Date 12/12/2015 – Venue – Stade Pierre-Mauroy – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Lille’s season has finally kicked off after back-to-back wins against Saint-Étienne and Caen have lifted them to 13^th in the table. If they are going to keep this up they need to put in another strong performance against a Lorient side who are enjoying their run of form at the moment. A loss for Les Dogues could see them back in the bottom three whereas a victory could take them into the top half of the table. Florent Balmont isn’t certain to start after picking up a knock last weekend but otherwise Frederic Antonetti has a fully fit squad to choose from.

After losing just one game in nine, Lorient have moved up to 8^th in the league standings and have a great chance to move into the European spots this weekend. Majeed Waris completes his suspension on Saturday but there are no forced changes from the side that won at Toulouse. Lorient have the capability to score goals so they could cause numerous problems amongst the Lille back line.

Montpellier v Guingamp Date 12/12/2015 – Venue – Stade de la Mosson – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Two struggling teams meet at the Stade de la Mosson as 16^th place Montpellier host 17^th place Guingamp. They are both just a point above the relegation zone and a win for either side would be huge. Three points could see one of them move up to 11^th, which is an indication of how close it is at the bottom of the table. Visitors Guingamp have lost their last three matches, albeit against tough opposition, but given their earlier form they are unfortunate to be in a relegation battle. Moustapha Diallo has recently been added to the injury list with an ankle problem; a list that already contained Jimmy Briand and Lionel Mathis to name a few.

Montpellier’s fightback has been excellent but they have suffered setbacks against Gazélec and Marseille in the last two matches. They will be looking to get back to winning ways as soon as possible and the three points against Guingamp will be massive in deciding their fate for this season. With no injuries obtained since October, Rolland Courbis has a great choice of players available for selection.

Nantes v Toulouse Date 12/12/2015 – Venue – Stade de la Beaujoire – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Although Nantes are 11^th in the league, they are far from safety as only four points separate them from the relegation zone. They haven’t won in any of their last five outings and although they have struggled to score goals, their defence has been strong which is a positive for the side. Les Canaris must be getting the three points from this match as Toulouse are in the bottom three and have lost six of their last ten league matches. Remy Riou may still be out with an injury, while Wilfried Moimbe is also doubtful for Nantes.

Toulouse’s two consecutive wins wasn’t enough to move them off 19^th and their earlier form has cost them as last weekend’s loss to Lorient saw them fall even further behind. A win at the Stade de la Beaujoire would give them a bit of hope as although it wouldn’t get them out of the bottom three; it would close the gap on Nantes to four points. With no further injuries or suspensions, almost a whole squad is available for Les Pitchouns.

Troyes v Bastia Date 12/12/2015 – Venue – Stade de l’Aube – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Another relegation battle takes place at the Stade de l’Aube where bottom of the league Troyes travel to 18^th place Bastia. This seems like Troyes’ final chance to start a fightback because they are already 13 points below safety and a win for Bastia could make it almost impossible to revive their season. Jean-Marc Furlan parted company with the club last week, giving Claude Robin an opportunity to try and keep the side in Ligue 1. There are no recent injuries or suspensions for Troyes, but after the point at Reims last week there may be an unchanged side.

Bastia’s loss to Monaco saw them drop into the bottom three and they will be hoping for a short stay as three points at Troyes is a must. A win could see them climb up to 12^th if all of the results go their way, but either way a maximum points haul would get them out of the relegation zone. Sadio Diallo is still out with an adductor injury but there are no further forced changes to the Bastia side.

Monaco v Saint-Étienne Date 13/12/2015 – Venue – Stade Louis II – Kick Off 13:00 (UK Time)

One of the better games of the weekend is at Monaco where they welcome Saint-Étienne to the Stade Louis II. With the hosts in 4^th and the visitors in 6^th it is really all to play for as both sides are looking to claim the European spots once again this year. Monaco could effectively move up to 2^nd with a win and go five points clear of Saint-Étienne in the process; a big gap as they look to push on in the second half of the season. Some key Monaco players may be sidelined with injuries for this one as Guido Carrillo and Andrea Raggi have calf problems and Fabio Coentrao is recovering from a knock.

Les Verts need a result at the Stade Louis II to stand a better chance of claiming that 2^nd place spot come the end of the season. With Marseille and Lyon’s form being hit and miss, there is a great opportunity for another side to make the Champions League next year. Francois Clerc may be out of action for this game, alongside Jean-Christophe Bahebeck who is also struggling with an injury. Both sides are involved in the Europa League this week with Saint-Étienne facing Lazio at home and Monaco making the trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

Angers v Bordeaux Date 13/12/2015 – Venue – Stade Jean Bouin – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

Angers have been in exceptional form over the last four games particularly, taking eight points from a possible 12 and keeping clean sheets in all of those matches against Caen, Lille, PSG and Lyon. They face another game which has the potential to be a difficult one, but Bordeaux having to play Rubin Kazan in the Europa League on Thursday may give Angers a boost. The hosts could expand on their position in 2^nd, especially as Thomas Mangani is the only doubt.

The visitors are 12^th in the league but still have the relegation zone lurking in their shadow as they are just three points above the drop zone. Les Girondins will be looking forward however as they are now only five points away from the European spots. They won’t be feeling incredibly confident travelling to Angers however and the game against Rubin Kazan is also causing difficulties for Bordeaux. Nicolas Pallois is still suspended, while Jussie, Clement Chantome and Enzo Crivelli have recently been added to the side’s long list of absentees.

Marseille v Gazélec Ajaccio Date 13/12/2015 – Venue – Stade Vélodrome – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

Marseille and Gazélec have had similar runs of form this season but it’s the visitors who are on top of the form table at the moment as they are unbeaten in seven heading into this one. If Gazélec’s start to the campaign wasn’t as poor or they had adapted to Ligue 1 a little quicker, they would be well away from the bottom three by now but instead they are 15^th and two points ahead of danger. They probably deserve better after their revival and they will be hoping to continue their run at the Stade Vélodrome on Sunday. There are no forced changes to the side that faced Nantes last weekend, so there may be an unchanged Gazélec team.

The home side are also on an unbeaten run; four games without a loss has taken them up to 9^th in the league and a win may well take them into the top six, which is where they want to be going into the second half of the season. Les Olympiens face a trip to Czech side Slovan Liberec in the Europa League before Sunday’s match, meaning their may be some tired legs on the return to league football. Romain Alessandrini is still out with a foot injury for Marseille while Lassana Diarra is struggling with a knee problem.

Paris Saint-Germain v Lyon Date 13/12/2015 – Venue – Parc des Princes – Kick Off 20:00 (UK Time)

PSG will be full of confidence after winning their final Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday and qualifying to the knockout stages. Les Parisians are having the perfect season so far with European football and also being unbeaten in the league, 15 points clear at the top of the table. Lyon look the most likely to beat PSG but even they are having difficulties this season. The only absentees for PSG are Marco Verratti and Javier Pastore.

Lyon also have a Champions League match before the big game on Sunday, but theirs is an away trip to Valencia. In Ligue 1 though, they are 5^th in the table and three points could take them up to 3^rd ahead of Caen and Monaco if they were to drop points. Les Gones are without a win in four however as they were on the end of a disheartening home loss to Angers in the previous match. They will be looking to get over that result pretty quickly but a trip to the Parc des Princes isn’t a great fixture to do so. Mathieu Valbuena could be out with a knock as well, which would be some more disappointing news for Lyon if he were to miss the game.