PSG were extremely lucky to earn a share of the spoils last week against St-Etienne despite being totally outplayed by Jean-Louis Gasset’s team. There were also wins for Bordeaux, Lyon and Monaco while Marseille were held to a goalless draw by Montpellier. This all means that there is a mathematical chance that Monaco could successfully defend their title, however, unlikely it may seem. The men from the Principality travel to Paris this week in a match where the league could well be decided. Elsewhere, Lyon host Amiens while Marseille travel to Troyes.
Friday 13 April
Angers 18/10
Draw 53/20
Nice 16/10
(20:45)
Angers’ fine run of form continued last week as they played out to a 1-1 draw with Strasbourg. That point takes them seven clear of the relegation zone with just six rounds of matches remaining this season. They’re bang in form at the moment, only losing once (a narrow 2-1 defeat to PSG) in their last six league fixtures. Nice are in a similar boat, also losing only one of their last six league matches (also against PSG). Their fans must be wondering what would have become of their season had they maintained this level from the outset – it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think they’d be pushing hard for a Champions League place. Nice earned a credible draw against Stade Rennais last week and are tipped to go one better this time around against significantly weaker opposition.
Saturday 14 April
Lyon 1/4
Draw 47/10
Amiens 11/1
(17:00)
Despite the fact that Amiens have won their last two league encounters, they simply won’t be able to handle the form team in the division at the moment. Lyon head into this tie fresh off of 5-0 hammering of Metz and will win comfortably here. Take the hosts on the (-1) Handicap at 13/20.
Stade Rennais 5/10
Draw 33/10
Metz 11/2
(20:00)
Here we have a home side who have not tasted defeat in their last eight matches taking on a team who haven’t won since mid-January. There’s not really much else to say about this tie. At 5/10, Stade Rennais represent fantastic value – get on.
Caen 29/20
Draw 21/10
Toulouse 2/1
(20:00)
Caen are on a dire run of form which has seen them lose each of their last four league matches, scoring just once in the process. They were demolished by Amiens last week and don’t look as though they could buy a win at the moment. Patrice Garande won’t be happy how this season is ending considering how well his charges played in the middle part of the campaign. Toulouse will look at this match as a golden opportunity to open up a bit of a gap between themselves and the bottom three. This talented young squad tasted defeat at the hands of Dijon last week and desperately need one or two wins to settle the nerves. Despite being so close to the drop, they have picked up a couple of valuable draws over the last few weeks. Take the away side on the Double Chance here.
Nantes 13/20
Draw 11/4
Dijon 17/4
(20:00)
Nantes blew what a golden opportunity to get one over Monaco at the weekend. Having gone 1-0 up in the 32nd minute, Radamel Falcao and Rony Lopes each struck in three breathless minutes before the half-time break to effectively win the game for Leonardo Jardim’s side. Nantes have now only won once in their last nine games. Dijon have put together a nice little run since the end of January, only tasting defeat on two occasions. This series of results has seen them stave off any lingering fears over relegation. A bit left field here but I reckon Dijon can get something out of this game. Take the away side on the Win/Draw at 11/10.
Strasbourg 22/10
Draw 9/4
St. Etienne 5/4
(20:00)
Strasbourg have played out to three consecutive draws in the last few weeks. Two of those came against sides who are also in the thick of the relegation battle. These draws have effectively kept their fellow strugglers at arm’s length. They do, however, now head into a very tough run of games which include trips to Amiens, Nice and Lyon as well as a home tie against Stade Rennais. St. Etienne will be brimming with confidence following their dominant display against PSG last weekend. The 1-1 scoreline really wasn’t a fair reflection on a tie that should have been dead and buried before Mathieu Debuchy put through his own net in the 92nd minute. Big value on the away win here – St. Etienne should be far too good for a spirited Strasbourg.
Lille 5/4
Draw 22/10
Guingamp 47/20
(20:00)
It’s all becoming a bit too real for Lille as their relegation fears deepen week after week. They’ve now lost three on the spin and are still three points adrift of safety. There are signs of life within the side. However, they raced into a 13th minute lead against Bordeaux last week before Francious Kamano struck twice before the break to dash Lille’s hopes of a first league win in 10 matches. Guingamp have now won their last two league encounters against Bordeaux and Troyes. These victories came after a run of three straight defeats, so reading into the side’s form is pretty difficult at the best of times.That said, I think they should have the measure of Lille and are a great value bet at 47/20.
Sunday 15 April
Montpellier 1/1
Draw 22/10
Bordeaux 31/10
(15:00)
Montpellier’s recent record really is bizarre. It reads: played seven, won one, and drawn six. They’ve become masters of the draw this season whether they’re playing Lyon or Marseille at the top end of the table or they’re up against sides like Lille. They really do need to start converting some of these stalemates if they want to push on for a European spot next season. Bordeaux’s slide down the table has been incredible. They’ve only managed to pick up five points out of a possible 21 and find themselves languishing in 12th on the league standings. No real surprise that the draw is tipped here as a curiosity – not one to add to the multiples though.
Troyes 38/10
Draw 28/10
Marseille 7/10
(17:00)
Marseille’s form has been patchy of late but they really should have the measure of Troyes who are battling away at the wrong end of the table – 7/10 is a good looking price and should be added to all of your weekend multiples.
PSG 3/10
Draw 47/10
Monaco 7/1
(21:00)
PSG were totally outplayed by St. Etienne last season and were fortunate to come away with a point. They now face Monaco at home with a chance to wrestle back the title which their rivals won last season. Other than that blip, they’ve won nine of their last 10 league matches and will be confident of wrapping up the title at home against Monaco. The visitors overcame a 1-0 deficit to defeat Nantes 2-1 last weekend. They’ll be desperate to delay PSG’s title celebrations for at least another week with a win in Paris. That’ll be easier said than done, however, with the Parisians having won all 16 of their home matches this season. With this in mind, take the home side to claim victory.
Last week’s TREBLE WON @ 53/10
Monaco Win 11/20
Amiens Win 27/20
Stade Rennais Win 15/20
This week’s TREBLE @ 11/2
Lyon (-1) Handicap 13/20
Nice Win 16/10
Toulouse Win/Draw 5/10
Written by Jason Dewey