Ligue 1 Preview Gameweek 23

A number of season-defining matches take centre stage in Ligue 1 this weekend and the points need to be racked up if the sides are going to meet their season objectives.

Marseille v Lille Date 29/01/2016 – Venue – Stade Vélodrome – Kick Off 19:30 (UK Time)

Marseille and Lille kick off the weekend’s action at the Stade Vélodrome in an important game for both teams. Currently in 8^th, the home side have gone nine games unbeaten and will be hoping to continue this run to get into the top six by the end of the weekend. Abdelaziz Barrada has recently been ruled out with a thigh injury so he will be sidelined alongside Lucas Ocampos and Benjamin Mendy.

Lille have gone four games without a win and have suffered back-to-back losses, resulting in them slipping to 14^th in the table. Les Dogues are just three points above the relegation zone so they need to get a result against Marseille. There are no key injuries for Lille so Frederic Antonetti has a lot of choice for his team selection.

Angers v Monaco Date 30/01/2016 – Venue – Stade Jean Bouin – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

There is a top of the table clash in Saturday’s first game; 5^th place Angers welcome 2^nd place Monaco to the Stade Jean Bouin. Angers’ tough run of fixtures continues and their results have suffered because of it; three of their last four matches have ended in defeat so they will need to find their earlier form if they are going to hang on to a European spot. Thomas Mangani is still doubtful to start the game and Angers have missed him recently.

Like Marseille, Monaco are on an unbeaten streak of nine games but they will be aware of Angers’ threat on Saturday. The visitors have established a gap from themselves and the teams outside the top six, meaning consistency would get them back into the Champions League. Lacina Traore has been the most recent name added to Monaco’s injury list; he joins Jeremy Toulalan and Nabil Dirar on the sideline.

Bastia v Lyon Date 30/01/2016 – Venue – Stade Armand Cesari – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Given Lyon’s form last season it’s odd to think a win for Bastia in this game would take them to within two points of Les Gones, but that’s the situation. Lyon have struggled this season and have won just once in their last nine games, losing six of them. After managing to stay in the top six for weeks, they are now 9^th and three points away from the European spots so a win is vital to get them back into the mix. There are no notable injuries for Lyon but a shake-up might be needed in the team to try and rediscover the winning formula.

Bastia’s loss at Guingamp left them without any points and now without a few key players for this match as two red cards were shown in that match. Floyd Ayite and Yannick Cahuzac will be out with the suspensions from that game, while Seko Fofana and Francois Modesto are also out suspended. Bastia are 15^th in Ligue 1 and could be playing Lyon at the right time with the visitors struggling for form.

Gazélec Ajaccio v Montpellier Date 30/01/2016 – Venue – Stade Ange Casanova – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

The game of the weekend is at the Stade Ange Casanova between two sides that were struggling at the start of the season, Gazélec and Montpellier. It has huge significance because a win for the home side would give them a large amount of breathing space from the bottom three, whereas a Montpellier win could take them out of the bottom three and drag Gazélec back into the battle. The hosts are 13^th and have only Gregory Pujol out injured and they will be the favourites heading into the match.

Montpellier managed to escape the bottom three for a few weeks but four consecutive defeats has taken them straight back into the danger zone in 18^th. A win against Gazélec would take them to within one point of their opposition in the league table. The most recent injury for Montpellier is Morgan Sanson who underwent arthroscopic surgery and he will be out of action for a number of weeks.

Lorient v Reims Date 30/01/2016 – Venue – Stade du Moustoir – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Lorient against Reims is another game that has huge significance. The hosts are 12^th and just five points above the bottom three, while Reims are 17^th and four points behind. A loss for Lorient could see them slip to just a matter of one or two points above the bottom three, but a win could take them as high as 9^th. Didier Ndong is out of contention for this match as he is suspended.

The visitors are without a win in six attempts but picked up a great point against Saint-Étienne last time around. Reims desperately need the three points on Saturday as there is a great chance they could slip into the bottom three this weekend. Theoson Siebatcheu may be sidelined with an injury for Reims and Mohamed Fofana is also struggling with a toe problem.

Toulouse v Guingamp Date 30/01/2016 – Venue – Stadium Municipal – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

A bottom of the league clash takes place at the Stadium Municipal as 19^th place Toulouse welcome 16^th place Guingamp. The visitors are showing signs of a revival after their five straight defeats, with two draws and last week’s victory over Bastia. Jonathan Martins Pereira is suspended for Guingamp, while Nill De Pauw may still be sidelined with a knee injury.

Toulouse are three points adrift from safety so they desperately need a win while they are facing fellow strugglers, starting with Guingamp. Les Pitchouns did manage to get a win against Reims but their last two games have been defeats versus PSG and Monaco, with 1-0 and 4-0 defeats respectively. Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro and Issa Diop will serve their suspensions in the cup game against PSG on Wednesday so they will be back for the league match.

Troyes v Nantes Date 30/01/2016 – Venue – Stade de l’Aube – Kick Off 19:00 (UK Time)

Troyes will be full of confidence after their triumph at Lille in the last round of fixtures, and they have to be because they need to play without fear if they are going to beat the drop. They are still bottom of the league but closed the gap between them and safety to 12 points. Nantes are their opposition for this match; a side that’s proved difficult to beat in the last couple of months. Mouhamadou Dabo won’t be available to face Nantes as he is suspended for the game.

Les Canaris are sitting in mid-table after going eight games without a defeat, but seven of the eight matches have ended level. A win for Nantes would take them very close to the European spots and it could be a spring in their step to a strong league finish. They will be without Youssouf Sabaly and Johan Audel through injuries.

Caen v Nice Date 31/01/2016 – Venue – Stade Michel d’Ornano – Kick Off 13:00 (UK Time)

Another intriguing match is Sunday’s opener between Caen and Nice. The away side are in much better form; three wins and two draws in their last five matches has seen them climb to 3^rd, only three points behind Monaco. With the only key injury being Ricardo Pereira, Les Aiglons have another great chance of getting the three points.

Caen have also exceeded expectations this season as they sit 7^th in the league; only goal difference is keeping them out of the European places. They have only just ended a run of three successive defeats however, beating Montpellier last weekend. Emmanuel Imorou is suspended for the game, while Herve Bazile’s groin issue and Damien Da Silva’s hamstring problem may keep them out of action for another week.

Bordeaux v Rennes Date 31/01/2016 – Venue – Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux – Kick Off 16:00 (UK Time)

Bordeaux and Rennes are both enjoying good runs of form at the moment; six games unbeaten for the two teams. The league positions of the two sides are very different however, as Bordeaux are only just recovering from a poor campaign and hey sit 10^th in the league. Les Girondins suffered a huge setback recently when Cedric Carrasso was ruled out with a cruciate ligament injury and Nicolas Maurice-Belay may also miss the game with illness.

The visitors are 4^th in the league and will be looking to close down Nice and Monaco with a win at Bordeaux. On form, Rennes should be getting the three points in this match but Bordeaux look to be back to their usual selves and could prove to be too strong. With no new injuries in the side, Rolland Courbis may name the same starting eleven that saw Rennes end Gazélec’s unbeaten streak last weekend.

Saint-Étienne v Paris Saint-Germain Date 31/01/2016 – Venue – Stade Geoffroy-Guichard – Kick Off 20:00 (UK Time)

One of the bigger games of the weekend takes place at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, where the Saint-Étienne and PSG rivalry kicks off. PSG are looking stronger than ever and it is difficult to see any other result than a PSG win in this match. Les Parisians’ last six games have all been victories; conceding just two goals and scoring 19 in the process. After a fine display in the game against Angers, Gregory van der Wiel could miss this game after reportedly having appendix surgery. There are no further changes from last week’s starting line-up however.

Les Verts had to salvage a point against Reims in the previous fixture and they face a big test on Sunday as they are still only hanging on to 6^th spot. A number of disappointing results have come and gone for Saint-Étienne, but after picking up four points in their last two they should be able to push on for the rest of the campaign, even if they suffer a defeat against the league leaders. Romain Hamouma could still be sidelined with a calf injury for the home side and they should show signs of improvement on his return.