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Ligue 1 Preview: Round 27
With the top two meeting on Sunday night, there’s a great chance for the chasing pack to make real headway. Highlights of this weekend’s calendar include Lille’s trip to Saint-Etienne, and Marseille’s hosting of Lorient.
Mar 5, 2010 6:30:00 AM
By Robin Bairner
Saturday, March 6, 2010 (all kick-off times CET)
19:00 Auxerre – Valenciennes
19:00 Boulogne-Sur-Mer – Olympique Lyonnais
19:00 Racing Club de Lens – Paris Saint-Germain
19:00 Nice – Nancy
19:00 Stade Rennais – Monaco
19:00 Sochaux – Toulouse
21:00 Saint-Etienne – Lille
Sunday, March 7, 2010
17:00 Grenoble Foot38 – Le Mans
17:00 Olympique de Marseille – Lorient
21:00 Girondins de Bordeaux – Montpellier (preview)
Auxerre – Valenciennes
Having surreptitiously sneaked up to sixth place in Ligue 1, just three points off the Champions League spots, Auxerre want to keep their fine start to 2010 going when they host Valenciennes.
Jean Fernandez’s side have been in fine form of late, a 5-0 hammering at Grenoble aside, and played strongly to defeat Lille 2-1 away from home last weekend. Roy Contout scored his first and second career Ligue 1 goals in that encounter but could face a real challenge retaining his spot in the unit as Ireneusz Jelen is hopeful of returning to the fold. After the international break, AJA have yet to report new injury worries.
Valenciennes, meanwhile, continue to dream of European involvement next term via the Europa League. The northerners have a fairly strong record on the road this term, but many of their best wins came early in the season. For this encounter Philippe Montanier has a number of faces missing, including Bobo Balde and Mamadou Samassa. They will be hard pushed to earn anything from a steady Burgundy side.
Boulogne-Sur-Mer – Olympique Lyonnais
Defeat after defeat has followed for Boulogne in recent times, and they won’t be especially hopeful of their luck changing when they tackle in-form Lyon at the weekend.
Salvation for the hosts may come from the fact that Lyon have a vital Champions League encounter against Real Madrid to consider next week. Gones general manager Claude Puel frequently omits some of his best players before such vital matches, so USBCO may not have to face the very elite of the Lyon side. Cesar Delgado is back training fully and is ready to play though.
Even a reserve OL side should be strong enough to defeat the Stade de la Liberation outfit, who continue to be absolutely riddled with injuries. Even Gregory Thil, who recently overcame a serious ankle injury, has found himself back on the treatment table lately due to a relapse. The problems are especially acute in attack, which explains why goals are so hard to find. Alexandre Cuvillier, their outstanding player of the season, is reportedly being tracked by Auxerre.
Racing Club de Lens – Paris Saint-Germain
Lens’ good run of form came to an end last Saturday evening, when they were frustrated to a 1-0 defeat in Toulouse, and Jean-Guy Wallemme will hope for an improved performance against a PSG side who are in the midst of a great crisis.
Les Sang et Or looked solid at the back as they ultimately slipped to a defeat against le Tefece, and they will certainly take heart from that approaching Saturday’s game. More will be asked of an impotent front line, though. Illness as opposed to injury is the biggest threat to Lens personnel, with gastric flu gripping a couple of first team members this week. Only Sebastien Roudet is considered doubtful though.
PSG are still reeling from their 3-0 defeat against Marseille last weekend and the club’s fans have revolted against their owners. Antoine Kombouare, the coach, has not been exempt from criticism, but opinion is split over his future at present. He will have Stephane Sessegnon and Mamadou Sakho available after suspension to aid the ailing club’s cause. Peguy Luyindula and Gregory Coupet are sidelined.
Nice – Nancy
Neither Nice nor Nancy have been going well in recent times, though both will have pinpointed Saturday’s fixture as a fine opportunity to make a move up the league standings.
Les Aiglons will be without former PSG defender Larrys Mabiala for approximately a month after he picked up a problem last weekend, though they are otherwise in a strong position on the selection front. Despite losing 2-0 to Lyon last weekend, Nice pieced together an acceptable performance and will look to draw positives from their experience at Stade Gerland ahead of this fixture.
Nancy will struggle to do likewise after they were shocked by Grenoble last Saturday. ASNL were simply awful, with Issiar Dia the only player to earn pass marks. Key men Youssouf Hadji and Michael Chretien lead a short injury list. Pablo Correa’s side have been playing poorly on the whole of late and are now starting to suffer.
Stade Rennais – Monaco
Monaco coach Guy Lacombe travels back to the home of former club Rennes for the first time since leaving the Breton club in fairly acrimonious circumstances over the summer, setting the scene for what should be an exciting encounter between two very capable clubs.
Capable Rennes may be, but under former Nice boss Frederic Antonetti they are nowhere near as stable as they once were under the forthright figure of Lacombe. In recent weeks they’ve juxtaposed the high of beating champion Girondins de Bordeaux with the low of losing to minnows Quevilly in the Coupe de France. Asamoah Gyan and Kader Mangane are both banned after seeing red cards last weekend.
Les Monegasques have also been frustratingly inconsistent this season. While they were untouchable in January, they were disappointing in February, with last weekend’s 1-0 success at home against Boulogne at least allowing them to finish the month on a high. Definitely out is the suspended Lukman Haruna, while Park Chu-Young is hopeful of returning to the first team.
Sochaux – Toulouse
Francis Gillot’s Sochaux side need to do just a little more to ensure their safety in Ligue 1 and will be aiming to take decisive action against inconsistent Toulouse at home.
Les Lionceaux have struggled a little in recent times, managing only one Championnat win since the turn of the year, though they do remain in the Coupe de France. Goals have been especially hard for the Doubs side to come by, with only one goal scored throughout February and only four netted since the turn of the year in league football in total. American striker Charlie Davies remains sidelined, while regular midfielder Marvin Martin is a doubt.
Toulouse have had goal scoring issues of their own, with their offense looking impotent for long spells during their 1-0 victory over Lens last weekend. Substitute Kevin Dupuis was the match-winner, and he may be rewarded for his efforts with a starting berth. Andre-Pierre Gignac is working his way towards fitness, but it will be next week before he returns. Second choice goalkeeper Olivier Blondel is penciled in for the reserves after returning to training after injury.
Saint-Etienne – Lille
Arguably the highlight of Saturday’s card sees Lille travel to Saint-Etienne ahead of their Europa League clash with Liverpool.
LOSC’s preparations for a big week have been badly disrupted by injury problems. Gervinho remains on the treatment table, while starting right-back Mathieu Debuchy is also out for around another month. Nicolas Plestan and Tulio de Melo continue their injury blues, while there are also doubts over strikers Pierre-Alain Frau and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, leaving coach Rudi Garcia with a number of unwelcome selection worries.
Sainte’s problems on that front are slowly starting to clear. Dimitri Payet, Moustapha Bayal Sall and Cedric Varrault all returned to normal training this week, though a small group of players, led by midfielder Christophe Landrin, are still causing concern. Les Verts have shown an improvement in recent weeks, and they can flex their new found muscles here.
Grenoble Foot38 – Le Mans
While the top two meet later on Sunday, it’s easy to forget about the implications of the vital relegation tussle between Le Mans and Grenoble, who both currently lie isolated in the drop zone.
Things aren’t especially bad for MUC yet. They are six points back from Nice, but Arnaud Cormier’s men are in desperate need of three points from this fixture if they are to achieve safety. Olivier Thomert has been giving cause for concern this week, though key man Anthony Le Tallec will be restored to the starting XI after MUC’s fixture against Bordeaux was postponed last weekend.
Le Mans may have been twiddling their thumbs, but Grenoble were out winning three points, keeping their slim hopes of survival alive. They need 13 points to catch les Aiglons, so the prospects of them staying safe look immensely bleak, but three points in a willable fixture like this would boost their esteem greatly. Top scorer Danijel Ljuboja is back in action.
Olympique de Marseille – Lorient
Marseille and Lorient served up a classic at Stade Velodrome last season, with les Phoceens going down 3-2 as their opponents rallied from a two goal deficit to record one of the shock results of the season. OM fans won’t want to remember that game and will be seeking to eradicate it from their memories with a strong performance on Sunday afternoon.
There will be no Gabriel Heinze in the ranks of les Phoceens. The Argentine international picked up a left hamstring strain while away with his country in midweek and faces three weeks on the sidelines, meaning Taye Taiwo will step into the left-back role. Expect OM to otherwise field their strongest unit, as only Cyril Rool and Julien Rodriguez are otherwise carrying injuries.
Les Merlus have had plenty of headaches on that front over the course of the last week. It seems that center-back Laurent Koscielny will not be fit to start in Provence, though this is somewhat countered by the return of strike pairing Kevin Gameiro and Marama Vahirua. In addition, Jeremy Morel will return to the left-back role. Sylvain Marchal and Arnaud Le Lan are both banned, depleting the defense significantly.
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19:00 Auxerre – Valenciennes
19:00 Boulogne-Sur-Mer – Olympique Lyonnais
19:00 Racing Club de Lens – Paris Saint-Germain
19:00 Nice – Nancy
19:00 Stade Rennais – Monaco
19:00 Sochaux – Toulouse
21:00 Saint-Etienne – Lille
Sunday, March 7, 2010
17:00 Grenoble Foot38 – Le Mans
17:00 Olympique de Marseille – Lorient
21:00 Girondins de Bordeaux – Montpellier (preview)
Auxerre – Valenciennes
Having surreptitiously sneaked up to sixth place in Ligue 1, just three points off the Champions League spots, Auxerre want to keep their fine start to 2010 going when they host Valenciennes.
Jean Fernandez’s side have been in fine form of late, a 5-0 hammering at Grenoble aside, and played strongly to defeat Lille 2-1 away from home last weekend. Roy Contout scored his first and second career Ligue 1 goals in that encounter but could face a real challenge retaining his spot in the unit as Ireneusz Jelen is hopeful of returning to the fold. After the international break, AJA have yet to report new injury worries.
Valenciennes, meanwhile, continue to dream of European involvement next term via the Europa League. The northerners have a fairly strong record on the road this term, but many of their best wins came early in the season. For this encounter Philippe Montanier has a number of faces missing, including Bobo Balde and Mamadou Samassa. They will be hard pushed to earn anything from a steady Burgundy side.
Boulogne-Sur-Mer – Olympique Lyonnais
Defeat after defeat has followed for Boulogne in recent times, and they won’t be especially hopeful of their luck changing when they tackle in-form Lyon at the weekend.
Salvation for the hosts may come from the fact that Lyon have a vital Champions League encounter against Real Madrid to consider next week. Gones general manager Claude Puel frequently omits some of his best players before such vital matches, so USBCO may not have to face the very elite of the Lyon side. Cesar Delgado is back training fully and is ready to play though.
Even a reserve OL side should be strong enough to defeat the Stade de la Liberation outfit, who continue to be absolutely riddled with injuries. Even Gregory Thil, who recently overcame a serious ankle injury, has found himself back on the treatment table lately due to a relapse. The problems are especially acute in attack, which explains why goals are so hard to find. Alexandre Cuvillier, their outstanding player of the season, is reportedly being tracked by Auxerre.
Racing Club de Lens – Paris Saint-Germain
Lens’ good run of form came to an end last Saturday evening, when they were frustrated to a 1-0 defeat in Toulouse, and Jean-Guy Wallemme will hope for an improved performance against a PSG side who are in the midst of a great crisis.
Les Sang et Or looked solid at the back as they ultimately slipped to a defeat against le Tefece, and they will certainly take heart from that approaching Saturday’s game. More will be asked of an impotent front line, though. Illness as opposed to injury is the biggest threat to Lens personnel, with gastric flu gripping a couple of first team members this week. Only Sebastien Roudet is considered doubtful though.
PSG are still reeling from their 3-0 defeat against Marseille last weekend and the club’s fans have revolted against their owners. Antoine Kombouare, the coach, has not been exempt from criticism, but opinion is split over his future at present. He will have Stephane Sessegnon and Mamadou Sakho available after suspension to aid the ailing club’s cause. Peguy Luyindula and Gregory Coupet are sidelined.
Nice – Nancy
Neither Nice nor Nancy have been going well in recent times, though both will have pinpointed Saturday’s fixture as a fine opportunity to make a move up the league standings.
Les Aiglons will be without former PSG defender Larrys Mabiala for approximately a month after he picked up a problem last weekend, though they are otherwise in a strong position on the selection front. Despite losing 2-0 to Lyon last weekend, Nice pieced together an acceptable performance and will look to draw positives from their experience at Stade Gerland ahead of this fixture.
Nancy will struggle to do likewise after they were shocked by Grenoble last Saturday. ASNL were simply awful, with Issiar Dia the only player to earn pass marks. Key men Youssouf Hadji and Michael Chretien lead a short injury list. Pablo Correa’s side have been playing poorly on the whole of late and are now starting to suffer.
Stade Rennais – Monaco
Monaco coach Guy Lacombe travels back to the home of former club Rennes for the first time since leaving the Breton club in fairly acrimonious circumstances over the summer, setting the scene for what should be an exciting encounter between two very capable clubs.
Capable Rennes may be, but under former Nice boss Frederic Antonetti they are nowhere near as stable as they once were under the forthright figure of Lacombe. In recent weeks they’ve juxtaposed the high of beating champion Girondins de Bordeaux with the low of losing to minnows Quevilly in the Coupe de France. Asamoah Gyan and Kader Mangane are both banned after seeing red cards last weekend.
Les Monegasques have also been frustratingly inconsistent this season. While they were untouchable in January, they were disappointing in February, with last weekend’s 1-0 success at home against Boulogne at least allowing them to finish the month on a high. Definitely out is the suspended Lukman Haruna, while Park Chu-Young is hopeful of returning to the first team.
Sochaux – Toulouse
Francis Gillot’s Sochaux side need to do just a little more to ensure their safety in Ligue 1 and will be aiming to take decisive action against inconsistent Toulouse at home.
Les Lionceaux have struggled a little in recent times, managing only one Championnat win since the turn of the year, though they do remain in the Coupe de France. Goals have been especially hard for the Doubs side to come by, with only one goal scored throughout February and only four netted since the turn of the year in league football in total. American striker Charlie Davies remains sidelined, while regular midfielder Marvin Martin is a doubt.
Toulouse have had goal scoring issues of their own, with their offense looking impotent for long spells during their 1-0 victory over Lens last weekend. Substitute Kevin Dupuis was the match-winner, and he may be rewarded for his efforts with a starting berth. Andre-Pierre Gignac is working his way towards fitness, but it will be next week before he returns. Second choice goalkeeper Olivier Blondel is penciled in for the reserves after returning to training after injury.
Saint-Etienne – Lille
Arguably the highlight of Saturday’s card sees Lille travel to Saint-Etienne ahead of their Europa League clash with Liverpool.
LOSC’s preparations for a big week have been badly disrupted by injury problems. Gervinho remains on the treatment table, while starting right-back Mathieu Debuchy is also out for around another month. Nicolas Plestan and Tulio de Melo continue their injury blues, while there are also doubts over strikers Pierre-Alain Frau and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, leaving coach Rudi Garcia with a number of unwelcome selection worries.
Sainte’s problems on that front are slowly starting to clear. Dimitri Payet, Moustapha Bayal Sall and Cedric Varrault all returned to normal training this week, though a small group of players, led by midfielder Christophe Landrin, are still causing concern. Les Verts have shown an improvement in recent weeks, and they can flex their new found muscles here.
Grenoble Foot38 – Le Mans
While the top two meet later on Sunday, it’s easy to forget about the implications of the vital relegation tussle between Le Mans and Grenoble, who both currently lie isolated in the drop zone.
Things aren’t especially bad for MUC yet. They are six points back from Nice, but Arnaud Cormier’s men are in desperate need of three points from this fixture if they are to achieve safety. Olivier Thomert has been giving cause for concern this week, though key man Anthony Le Tallec will be restored to the starting XI after MUC’s fixture against Bordeaux was postponed last weekend.
Le Mans may have been twiddling their thumbs, but Grenoble were out winning three points, keeping their slim hopes of survival alive. They need 13 points to catch les Aiglons, so the prospects of them staying safe look immensely bleak, but three points in a willable fixture like this would boost their esteem greatly. Top scorer Danijel Ljuboja is back in action.
Olympique de Marseille – Lorient
Marseille and Lorient served up a classic at Stade Velodrome last season, with les Phoceens going down 3-2 as their opponents rallied from a two goal deficit to record one of the shock results of the season. OM fans won’t want to remember that game and will be seeking to eradicate it from their memories with a strong performance on Sunday afternoon.
There will be no Gabriel Heinze in the ranks of les Phoceens. The Argentine international picked up a left hamstring strain while away with his country in midweek and faces three weeks on the sidelines, meaning Taye Taiwo will step into the left-back role. Expect OM to otherwise field their strongest unit, as only Cyril Rool and Julien Rodriguez are otherwise carrying injuries.
Les Merlus have had plenty of headaches on that front over the course of the last week. It seems that center-back Laurent Koscielny will not be fit to start in Provence, though this is somewhat countered by the return of strike pairing Kevin Gameiro and Marama Vahirua. In addition, Jeremy Morel will return to the left-back role. Sylvain Marchal and Arnaud Le Lan are both banned, depleting the defense significantly.
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