The wise old cliche advises “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone!” Toulouse boss Alain Casanova must be dreading this summer as he tries to keep hold of his star players after what has been an excellent season for Le Téfécé.
In the recent 2-1 defeat to Lille Toulouse and Casanova got a glimpse as to what life will be like without midfield maestro Etienne Capoue. Without the Frenchman’s presence in midfield the away side were played off the park in what was a scintillating first half performance from the Champions.
The Friday night Ligue 2 bet is back this week. And it’s a huge game for Clermont who still have ambitions of playing in Ligue 1 next season.
Boulogne vs Clermont
Clermont’s matches seem to be filled with goals at the moment, this will be no exception in my eyes.
In 12 out of the last 14 games featuring Clermont both teams have scored, and in seven out of the last eight meetings between these two teams both teams have scored.
Both teams here have a lot to play for, Boulogne are fighting for survival whilst Clermont have the promised land of ligue 1 in their sights. Rather than being over cautious, let’s hope they both come out looking for goals.
Back both teams to score here at 1.83 odds on Bet 365
To take advantage of Mark’s hot tip make sure to click the link above and place your bet, or sign up if you don’t have an account.
Despite all the rumours regarding his future with Montpellier, captain Mapou Yanga Mbiwa could actually stay with the club. Montpellier will have a tough job on their hands in keeping hold of the 22 year-old defender amidst interest from the Premier League, notably from clubs like Arsenal and Newcastle United, but the player has hinted in Midi Libre that rumours of his departure could be all talk.
“It might be too soon to leave. We’re in the middle of a great adventure.
“There is an opportunity to play in the Champions League with my formative club, which would be nice. Read the rest of this entry »
Once again the guys are back discussing the latest events in France. The ongoing battle to stave off relegation which included must needed wins for Lorient and Sochaux.
The title race took another turn as Montpellier and PSG both dropped points and Lille picked up all three against Ajaccio.
After the break Andrew has a rant about the awful display that was the Coupe de la Ligue final between Marseille and Lyon. They also look at the teams fighting to qualify for the Europa League.
Andrew then asks Jon some of the questions posted on twitter.
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Well here we are, it’s only been a week and we’re back again for yet another look at the best French performances from around the world. This weekend we will visit the English Premier League, Major League Soccer and of course, as always La Liga.
So I’ve decided we shouldn’t have to wait until the La Liga part of this piece, and in fact I’m going to bring you the first player and this week the only player from La Liga who stood out, you’ve already guessed it haven’t you? It’s Karim Benzema and once again he proved he is worthwhile in the Real Madrid side, coming on as a second half substitute and taking just thirty-seven minutes to score what was the winner in the game against Sporting Gijon, but it was also Real Madrid’s 107th goal.
It’s been a remarkable journey for Laurent Koscielny, from the Stade de la Valleé du Cher in Tours which holds 13,500 to the brand new Emirates Stadium which is graced with four times the amount of fans week in week out. It was the July of 2010 when Arsenal announced the signing of Laurent Koscielny. A typical Arsene Wenger signing, a Frenchman at good value, a player that not many had had the pleasure of watching before and a stranger to most Arsenal fans. However to the Arsenal staff Koscielny was no stranger, Wenger had sent scouts to watch the Frenchman for at least two seasons before finally signing for the Gunners.
So it is finally here! The first silverware of the season will be up for grabs this weekend as Marseille and Lyon go head-to-head for the Coupe de la Ligue. The matchup could not be between two sides in more different form. L’OM are in the middle of a slump that stretches 12 games of which they have lost 11, and Lyon since exiting the Champions League in embarrassing circumstances at the hands of APOEL Nicosia have been unbeaten in their last seven games and have just secured their place in France’s other domestic showpiece – the Coupe de France final. Read the rest of this entry »
I think Lyon are ridiculously good value for this game. Marseille’s form has gone beyond poor and now is just plain shocking, without a win in 12 games, with 10 defeats along the way. However it could be the match they need to snap out of their terrible run. It just doesn’t seem likely though.
Lyon are unbeaten in their last seven games including wins against PSG and Lille. They have also only lost once in nine matches against all opponents.
You can back Lyon to win in 90 minutes at odds of 2.20 at bet365, or if you’re feeling a little cautious you could take the optional bet of Lyon to lift the trophy(includes extra time and penalties) at odds of 1.80 at bet365.
Mark has now accurately picked 12 correct tips from 15 now an 80% record. To join in the betting action make sure to click the BET365 link, sign-up and join in.
This season Olympique Lyonnais have the chance to achieve a remarkable cup double having reached both the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue finals. This could end a spell of four seasons without a trophy, a spell which many fans believe to be unacceptable. However, one question still remains – will this season be deemed a failure if the club does not qualify for the Champions League?
The last time Lyon won a trophy was in 2008 under the guidance of Alain Perrin, when the club were successful in lifting Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles. The 07/08 season was also significant as it spelled the end of Lyon’s stranglehold on Ligue 1, the final time on a seven-year run that the side would lift the title at the end of the season. With Claude Puel in the managerial hot-seat, things may not have seemed too pleasant for fans of the club overall but one thing was always achieved – Champions League qualification.
There is little doubt that this summer is going to be one of change for many Ligue 1 clubs. For every player that Paris Saint-Germain plan to bring in it seems that for most other clubs there will be a star player or two leaving, ushering in a new era for teams around the country.
Sochaux have disappointed this season and will say goodbye to their two prized assets in Marvin Martin and Ryad Boudebouz. It would be surprising if Marseille could hold on to Steve Mandanda, Mathieu Valbuena, Andre Ayew and Loic Remy. And with Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas continuning to point out that Les Gones need to sell before they can buy.
One player that will most certainly leave Ligue 1 this summer is Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila. With plenty of speculation filling the gossip columns last summer M’Vila made it clear that he would spend one last season in Brittany before leaving French shores. Teams in England, Spain and Italy have all been linked with the commanding midfield general and Rennes have been coming to terms with the departure for most of the season. However things of gone from bad to worse this week.
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