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Ligue 1 Preview: Round 8
Bordeaux and Lyon remain in commanding positions in Le Championnat as a log-jam of clubs gather in the middle of the table. Goal.com examines this week's fixtures...
| Bet: | Returns: | AJ Auxerre £24.00 | Draw £31.00 | FC Lorient £30.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | AJ Auxerre £23.80 | Draw £31.00 | FC Lorient £31.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | AJ Auxerre £24.00 | Draw £30.00 | FC Lorient £30.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | AJ Auxerre £23.80 | Draw £32.00 | FC Lorient £30.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | AJ Auxerre £23.00 | Draw £31.50 | FC Lorient £33.50 |
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Oct 2, 2009 1:00:03 PM
AJ Auxerre, AS Monaco, AS Nancy-Lorraine, AS Saint-Etienne, Bordeaux, FC Lorient, FC Sochaux, Grenoble Foot 38, Le Mans UC 72, LOSC Lille Métropole, Montpellier HSC, OGC Nice, Olympique de Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais, Paris Saint-Germain, RC Lens, Stade Rennais FC, Toulouse FC, US Boulogne, Valenciennes FC
Saturday, October 1, 2009 (all kick-off times CET)
19:00 Grenoble Foot38 vs. Montpellier
19:00 Nice vs. Valenciennes
19:00 Paris Saint-Germain vs. Nancy
19:00 Stade Rennais vs. Auxerre
19:00 Saint-Etienne vs. Girondins de Bordeaux (full preview)
19:00 Sochaux vs. Le Mans
21:00 Racing Club de Lens vs. Olympique Lyonnais (full preview)
Sunday, October 2, 2009
17:00 Boulogne-Sur-Mer vs. Lille
17:00 Toulouse vs. Lorient
21:00 Olympique de Marseille vs. Monaco (full preview available Saturday at 14:00 CET)
Grenoble Foot38 vs. Montpellier
Pointless Grenoble continue the search for their first positive result of the Ligue 1 season against newly promoted Montpellier, who have quickly become accustomed to life in Ligue 1, driving themselves to fourth position.
Although MHSC will certainly not expect to remain in such a lofty perch, they can be very happy with their start to the campaign. Saturday’s match against Grenoble could see them reach 17 points, and with 40 generally regarded as the barrier for safety, their first eight games could only be considered a massive success. Cyril Jeunechamp will not feature, while Johann Carrasso remains absent.
Grenoble continue to have real injury headaches in the centre of their defence, where they will be without Bostjan Cesar and Sandy Paillot. David Jemmali is banned after being sent off in Auxerre last weekend. Nicolas Dieuze should return after illness, but Josip Tadic is still missing.
Nice vs. Valenciennes
Nice are still in a state of amber alert, despite picking up a seemingly good point against Lille last weekend. Didier Olle-Nicole’s Aiglons led 1-0 in an relatively uninspiring game until Pierre-Alain Frau crashed in a late equaliser, much to the chagrin of the already under-pressure coach.
Defender Gregory Paisley will be suspended for the home side, who will also plan without Mahamane Traore. There are also a number of players doubtful in their ranks.
Meanwhile, Valenciennes go into this game on a massive upsurge of confidence. Having won their last two league games on the road, VA defeated Marseille at home last weekend to continue their excellent recent form. This has been reflected to some extent on the injury front, with Jose Saez restarting training this week, though there remain a number of long-term issues.
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Nancy
A promising start to the season from PSG has stalled somewhat of late. A 1-1 draw against Lyon was by no means a poor result, but les Parisiens might have expected just a little better than a point against Lorient last weekend. Nevertheless, they can boast high hopes going into their weekend fixture with ASNL.
In terms of injuries, there are still a handful of problems for coach Antoine Kombouare, who was this week involved in a row with Lorient boss Christian Gourcuff, to deal with. Claude Makelele, whom the bust-up centred around, will play, but Mevlut Erding and Zoumana Camara continue to regain fitness.
Nancy also have a number of injury problems, with their most notable problem being Abbes Ouaddou, who will again be sidelined. Fellow defender Damian Macaluso is likely to miss a couple of weeks with a new knock, but Andre Luiz is primed to return to the starting XI.
Stade Rennais vs. Auxerre
Rennes felt they deserved better than their 1-0 defeat away to Bordeaux last Sunday, but they didn’t really create the chances to justify such a stance. The Breton side remain an obstinate, tough to beat unit, and they should fancy their chances against Auxerre on Sunday.
The home side, who have suffered from three early season draws, will have close to a full compliment to select from, though worries persist over centre-backs Petter Hansson and Lucien Aubey, which may force Carlos Bocanegra into the middle. Jimmy Briand continues his recuperation from serious injury. He should be fit for the reserves by the end of the month.
AJA, who have picked up after a disappointing start, go into this game minus Ireneusz Jelen, who is banned. Julien Quercia is expected back soon and Alexandre Licata is still missing. Jeremy Berthod is unlikely to take part, too.
Saint-Etienne vs. Girondins de Bordeaux
For a full preview of this fixture, click here…
Sochaux vs. Le Mans
Sochaux are on something of a downward spiral, easily beaten 2-1 by Nancy last weekend. That was their fourth defeat in succession, a run that has rendered good performances such as their 3-2 home defeat against Bordeaux, utterly useless. Francis Gillot’s men need to start picking up points, and Le Mans will provide decent opposition.
Definitely missing for the home side will be Carlao, but otherwise they have no big problems, with left-back Yassin Mikari back in the fold after missing out through illness last weekend. Right-back Ivan Stevanovic will probably miss out injured.
MUC hammered Lens 3-0 last weekend – a match in which everything finally seemed to click for them. They looked a strong outfit last Sunday and will aim to replicate such form at the weekend. Anthony Le Tallec and Thorstein Helstad are both doubts, while Samuel Bouhours will be sidelined.
Racing Club de Lens vs. Olympique Lyonnais
For a full preview of this fixture, click here…
Boulogne-Sur-Mer vs. Lille
These two sides could barely come into this game with any different emotions. Boulogne’s injury-riddled squad lost 1-0 away to Montpellier last weekend after putting up stubborn resistance for much of the match, while Lille, whose squad is far from in prime condition, are buzzing after a remarkable 5-1 away win over Slavia Prague in the Europa League.
USBCO have lost their last three and have scored only once in their last four, and a crippling injury situation is certainly not going to aid their cause this time around. Top marksman Gregory Thil is out for five months, while there are a string of other offensive injuries that will hit them hard for the weekend’s match.
Rudi Garcia’s men go into this match with an equally concerning injury list – Mickael Landreau, Aurelien Chedjou and Tulio de Melo just a sample of players missing – but their fringe men were immense in midweek. Particularly impressive was 17-year-old debutant Arnaud Souquet, who grabbed one assist and scored another as LOSC ran rampant late on. Yohan Cabaye is banned.
Toulouse vs. Lorient
Ivan Perisic proved the scourge of Toulouse on Thursday evening, scoring a 93rd minute equaliser that suddenly throws a likely qualification from the Europa League into doubt. Focus in the Pink City now has to turn towards the visit of Lorient, who will provide stern opponents in Ligue 1.
Le Tefece are still without a ream of defensive players, with Mauro Cetto not expected back until just before Christmas, while Antoine Devaux picked up a midweek problem. Otherwise their squad looks pretty healthy, with France squad picks Moussa Sissoko and Andre-Pierre Gignac both finding the net in midweek.
Lorient have been chugging along nicely in recent weeks, but they have their share of problems ahead of this fixture. Marama Vahirua is missing for three weeks, while strike partner Kevin Gameiro is a doubt to feature. Morgan Amalfitano is suspended and fellow midfielders Yann Jouffre and Yasid Mansouri are both injured.
Olympique de Marseille vs. Monaco
A full preview will be available Saturday at 14:00 CET
Robin Bairner, Goal.com
19:00 Grenoble Foot38 vs. Montpellier
19:00 Nice vs. Valenciennes
19:00 Paris Saint-Germain vs. Nancy
19:00 Stade Rennais vs. Auxerre
19:00 Saint-Etienne vs. Girondins de Bordeaux (full preview)
19:00 Sochaux vs. Le Mans
21:00 Racing Club de Lens vs. Olympique Lyonnais (full preview)
Sunday, October 2, 2009
17:00 Boulogne-Sur-Mer vs. Lille
17:00 Toulouse vs. Lorient
21:00 Olympique de Marseille vs. Monaco (full preview available Saturday at 14:00 CET)
Grenoble Foot38 vs. Montpellier
Pointless Grenoble continue the search for their first positive result of the Ligue 1 season against newly promoted Montpellier, who have quickly become accustomed to life in Ligue 1, driving themselves to fourth position.
Although MHSC will certainly not expect to remain in such a lofty perch, they can be very happy with their start to the campaign. Saturday’s match against Grenoble could see them reach 17 points, and with 40 generally regarded as the barrier for safety, their first eight games could only be considered a massive success. Cyril Jeunechamp will not feature, while Johann Carrasso remains absent.
Grenoble continue to have real injury headaches in the centre of their defence, where they will be without Bostjan Cesar and Sandy Paillot. David Jemmali is banned after being sent off in Auxerre last weekend. Nicolas Dieuze should return after illness, but Josip Tadic is still missing.
Nice vs. Valenciennes
Nice are still in a state of amber alert, despite picking up a seemingly good point against Lille last weekend. Didier Olle-Nicole’s Aiglons led 1-0 in an relatively uninspiring game until Pierre-Alain Frau crashed in a late equaliser, much to the chagrin of the already under-pressure coach.
Defender Gregory Paisley will be suspended for the home side, who will also plan without Mahamane Traore. There are also a number of players doubtful in their ranks.
Meanwhile, Valenciennes go into this game on a massive upsurge of confidence. Having won their last two league games on the road, VA defeated Marseille at home last weekend to continue their excellent recent form. This has been reflected to some extent on the injury front, with Jose Saez restarting training this week, though there remain a number of long-term issues.
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Nancy
A promising start to the season from PSG has stalled somewhat of late. A 1-1 draw against Lyon was by no means a poor result, but les Parisiens might have expected just a little better than a point against Lorient last weekend. Nevertheless, they can boast high hopes going into their weekend fixture with ASNL.
In terms of injuries, there are still a handful of problems for coach Antoine Kombouare, who was this week involved in a row with Lorient boss Christian Gourcuff, to deal with. Claude Makelele, whom the bust-up centred around, will play, but Mevlut Erding and Zoumana Camara continue to regain fitness.
Nancy also have a number of injury problems, with their most notable problem being Abbes Ouaddou, who will again be sidelined. Fellow defender Damian Macaluso is likely to miss a couple of weeks with a new knock, but Andre Luiz is primed to return to the starting XI.
Stade Rennais vs. Auxerre
Rennes felt they deserved better than their 1-0 defeat away to Bordeaux last Sunday, but they didn’t really create the chances to justify such a stance. The Breton side remain an obstinate, tough to beat unit, and they should fancy their chances against Auxerre on Sunday.
The home side, who have suffered from three early season draws, will have close to a full compliment to select from, though worries persist over centre-backs Petter Hansson and Lucien Aubey, which may force Carlos Bocanegra into the middle. Jimmy Briand continues his recuperation from serious injury. He should be fit for the reserves by the end of the month.
AJA, who have picked up after a disappointing start, go into this game minus Ireneusz Jelen, who is banned. Julien Quercia is expected back soon and Alexandre Licata is still missing. Jeremy Berthod is unlikely to take part, too.
Saint-Etienne vs. Girondins de Bordeaux
For a full preview of this fixture, click here…
Sochaux vs. Le Mans
Sochaux are on something of a downward spiral, easily beaten 2-1 by Nancy last weekend. That was their fourth defeat in succession, a run that has rendered good performances such as their 3-2 home defeat against Bordeaux, utterly useless. Francis Gillot’s men need to start picking up points, and Le Mans will provide decent opposition.
Definitely missing for the home side will be Carlao, but otherwise they have no big problems, with left-back Yassin Mikari back in the fold after missing out through illness last weekend. Right-back Ivan Stevanovic will probably miss out injured.
MUC hammered Lens 3-0 last weekend – a match in which everything finally seemed to click for them. They looked a strong outfit last Sunday and will aim to replicate such form at the weekend. Anthony Le Tallec and Thorstein Helstad are both doubts, while Samuel Bouhours will be sidelined.
Racing Club de Lens vs. Olympique Lyonnais
For a full preview of this fixture, click here…
Boulogne-Sur-Mer vs. Lille
These two sides could barely come into this game with any different emotions. Boulogne’s injury-riddled squad lost 1-0 away to Montpellier last weekend after putting up stubborn resistance for much of the match, while Lille, whose squad is far from in prime condition, are buzzing after a remarkable 5-1 away win over Slavia Prague in the Europa League.
USBCO have lost their last three and have scored only once in their last four, and a crippling injury situation is certainly not going to aid their cause this time around. Top marksman Gregory Thil is out for five months, while there are a string of other offensive injuries that will hit them hard for the weekend’s match.
Rudi Garcia’s men go into this match with an equally concerning injury list – Mickael Landreau, Aurelien Chedjou and Tulio de Melo just a sample of players missing – but their fringe men were immense in midweek. Particularly impressive was 17-year-old debutant Arnaud Souquet, who grabbed one assist and scored another as LOSC ran rampant late on. Yohan Cabaye is banned.
Toulouse vs. Lorient
Ivan Perisic proved the scourge of Toulouse on Thursday evening, scoring a 93rd minute equaliser that suddenly throws a likely qualification from the Europa League into doubt. Focus in the Pink City now has to turn towards the visit of Lorient, who will provide stern opponents in Ligue 1.
Le Tefece are still without a ream of defensive players, with Mauro Cetto not expected back until just before Christmas, while Antoine Devaux picked up a midweek problem. Otherwise their squad looks pretty healthy, with France squad picks Moussa Sissoko and Andre-Pierre Gignac both finding the net in midweek.
Lorient have been chugging along nicely in recent weeks, but they have their share of problems ahead of this fixture. Marama Vahirua is missing for three weeks, while strike partner Kevin Gameiro is a doubt to feature. Morgan Amalfitano is suspended and fellow midfielders Yann Jouffre and Yasid Mansouri are both injured.
Olympique de Marseille vs. Monaco
A full preview will be available Saturday at 14:00 CET
Robin Bairner, Goal.com
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