Ligue 1 Preview: Montpellier – Bordeaux

Le Championnat’s leading pair go head-to-head as les Girondins look to extend their advantage in France’s top flight…

Dec 15, 2009 10:28:31 AM

More On :  Bordeaux, Montpellier HSC, Montpellier HSC vs Bordeaux
Nancy vs Bordeaux
Kick-Off: Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier

Trooping On

Montpellier are undoubtedly the revelations of the French season, having climbed out of Ligue 2 last summer and sprinted to second spot in Le Championnat with little over a week to go before Christmas. MHSC have persistently stated that 40 points is their target for this season, and though that will not be breached before the new year, la Paillade will certainly threaten it.
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Already boasting 30 points, Montpellier are safe from the spectre of relegation and dreams of something more can start seeping into their players’ minds. A match against the league leaders provides them a chance to really cause a stir, especially as they are on a decent run of four unbeaten.

A fine volley from Souleymane Diawara was enough to see off Toulouse at the weekend. Head coach Rene Girard accepted it was not their best performance, but was pleased with the outcome, explaining to the press, “We've developed the knack of winning games even without playing all that well. This is another big step forward for us - the players showed what they are made of. Now, though, we need to recover quickly because we have a huge match on Wednesday against Bordeaux.”

If MHSC were to win on Wednesday, it would upset both the form and history books. It has been well over a decade since la Paillade won in Bordeaux, with three draws the best they have mustered in their last six clashes against their Garonne rivals, over whom they boast a game in hand.

Giving Nothing Away

When Laurent Blanc declared that Girondins de Bordeaux would start focusing on their Ligue 1 campaign after he had steered them to a 2-0 away success against Bayern Munich that guided them to the last 16 of the Champions League, it was a worrying statement for the rest of Le Championnat.

The champions hadn’t previously hit their straps for a prolonged period of time, but with European qualification out of the way, Blanc’s men have seemingly picked up the pace on the home front. Games against Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais were supposed to provide tests, but Bordeaux marched through the games with a pair of 1-0 wins.

While Marouane Chamakh and Yoann Gourcuff capture most of the press attention, it is actually les Girondins’ defence that has proven to be their outstanding unit this term. On a run of five successive wins in all competitions, Bordeaux have not leaked a goal since their loss to Valenciennes at home – a full 533 minutes of football ago.

Lyon were thoroughly frustrated by the efficient Aquitaine outfit at the weekend, being held at arm’s length until Bordeaux wanted to attack. When the blue-clad side pushed on, they did so with purpose, finding a decisive strike from Marouane Chamakh near the end of their trip to Stade Gerland.

Another such showing would surely be too good for a game Montpellier side.
 
FORM

Montpellier

WON 1-0 (a) Toulouse (Ligue 1, December 13)

WON 2-1 (h) Le Mans (Ligue 1, December 5)

WON 2-0 (h) Lille (Ligue 1, November 22)

DREW 1-1 (a) Valenciennes (Ligue 1, November 7)

LOST 2-1 (a) Auxerre (Ligue 1, October 31)

Bordeaux

WON 1-0 (a) Olympique Lyonnais (Ligue 1, December 13)

WON 1-0 (a) Maccabi Haifa (Champions League, December 8)

WON 1-0 (h) Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1, December 5)

WON 3-0 (a) Nancy (Ligue 1, November 29)

WON 2-0 (h) Juventus (Champions League, November 25)

TEAM NEWS

Montpellier

Rene Girard is in the fortunate position of being able to select from virtually his entire squad. Only Johan Carrasso, brother of Bordeaux goalkeeper Cedric, is expected to miss this match through injury, though he is scheduled to return to first team action in the near future after a lengthy absence.

Few changes are anticipated after Sunday’s success.

Probable Starting XI: Jourdren; Yangambiwa, Spahic, Dzodic, Jeunechamp; Marveaux, Pitau, Costa; Montano, Camara, Belhanda

Bordeaux

Michael Ciani had to withdraw from the squad when warming up for the Lyon game at the weekend and his back problem is not expected to ease any by Wednesday night. Though Henrique is fit again, youngster Ludovic Sane stepped into the team and excelled against OL, suggesting he will maintain his place.

Blanc will see this fixture as a real opportunity to lay down a marker, so none of the big guns are likely to be dropped. Yoan Gouffran should feature from the outset as les Girondins change shape from a 4-2-3-1 to something more akin to a 4-4-2 diamond.

Probable Starting XI: Carrasso; Chalme, Sane, Planus, Tremoulinas; Plasil, A. Diarra, Gourcuff, Wendel; Gouffran, Chamakh

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Montpellier

Since signing from Lokomotiv Moscow in the summer, Emir Spahic has really shone for La Paillade. The Bosnian international will be charged with shackling one of the most efficient line-ups in Ligue 1 in midweek, but his performance against Toulouse forward player Andre-Pierre Gignac at the weekend suggests he is well up for the challenge.

Bordeaux

Marouane Chamakh has caught the attention of many European giants over the last six months, and with a habit of scoring goals in big games increasingly noticeable in his game, it is little wonder. He notched against Lyon on Sunday and will be aiming to repeat the feat against a side widely considered to be inferior to les Gones, although the league table would argue against that. Strong, good in the air and with a good touch, the Moroccan is central to his side’s offensive plan.

PREDICTION

Bordeaux enjoyed a propensity to win the big games last season and Sunday’s game suggests that they have perhaps found such a touch once again this term. Montpellier may be unbeaten at home, but they’re yet to play any of the real giants on their own patch, instead losing heavily away to Olympique de Marseille in September. With that in mind, les Girondins have to be favoured to win a tight match.

Montpellier 0-1 Girondins de Bordeaux

Robin Bairner, Goal.com
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