There has been more talk off the field that on it this week. Everyone loves a scandal, but here at FFW we prefer to stick to the football. Angers kick off proceedings with a tough test against Rennes, Caen will hope to stop the slide at home to Guingamp and then we end things with the last ever derby at the Stade de Gerland.

SCO Angers v Stade Rennais: Friday 19:30 – @Philby1976

Friday night’s opening game sees Angers, one of the surprises of the season, seeking to hold onto a podium spot – helped out by the other teams on 22 points facing off in the Rhone Derby on Sunday. Currently third, they have a stalwart defence, conceding only seven (only one at home), and while they aren’t high-scoring by any means (12), they have got their goals at the right time to win six and draw four.

This defensive solidity will be challenged by Rennes, who were the only team beside PSG to score in each of the first eleven matches – and then lost 1-0 to PSG. Their conversion rate is good, and behind top-scorers Giovanni Sio (4) and Kamil Grosicki (3) a range of players are chipping in with goals, making them rather difficult to predict. However their defence is leaky, and after a strong start, they are on a bit of a slide, with only three points from their last five games, and seven without a win.

Angers also share scoring duties around – Thomas Mangani and Cheikh Ndoye both have three, Razza Camara two. Their impressive consistency looks linked to squad stability, with six players starting all 12 games so far, including defensive rocks Yohann Andreu and Romain Thomas and the impressive Ludovic Butelle in goal. Having a small squad is also risky, however – Thomas is suspended, and the ASCO website only describes four of tonight’s squad as defenders…

Conversely, Rennes have only three players on ten starts (Sylvain Armand, Yacouba Sylla, Ludovic Baal) as Philippe Montanier still looks to be struggling to find the best balance in his team; given current form, there are mutterings about his future. Expect a cagey and low-scoring affair.

Stade de Reims v Gazelec Ajaccio: Saturday 19:00 – @Gibney_A

The honeymoon is over for Olivier Guegan and Stade de Reims. The ice has melted, the champagne has gone flat and last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to Saint-Etienne was their fifth defeat in a row.

Reims’ early season form is what is keeping them up in 13th place, but they face a huge test on Sunday as the – who thought we’d say this – in-form Gazelec Ajaccio come to town.

Whereas Reims were successful with an exciting blend of youth and experience, Gazelec’s turn has come from their older heads standing up to be counted.

Gregory Pujol, Jeremie Brechet and David Ducourtioux combine for 108 years of experience, and their legs may have more miles on the tank than most, but they are definitely up for one last battle.

On their travels, Thierry Laurey’s team have only scored once this season, that was their first-ever in Ligue 1 – Kader Mangane the unlikely man – but they still lost to Guingamp.

It seemed impossible that the Corsican minnows had any chance of staying up, but if they could pick up a victory at the Stade Auguste Delaune, people may start to believe.

Olympique de Marseille v OGC Nice: Sunday 16:00 – @JeremySmith98

Two teams in differing periods of form meet on Sunday afternoon in an intriguing south-coast derby. Although pundits have spent much of the season criticising Marseille and lauding Nice, the former’s gradual return to form, allied to the latter’s loss, mean that a big win for Michel’s men could actually see them leapfrog Claude Puel’s team.

Marseille come into the match off the back of three straight wins, at Lille and Nantes in Ligue 1 and at home to Braga in the Europa League. The Vélodrome should therefore be in far brighter spirits than for their last home league match – a disappointing 1-1 draw with Lorient.

Marseille’s spine will be substantially weakened, with Nicolas Nkoulou, Lassana Diarra and Rémy Cabella (who is showing signs of returning to his best) all suspended. Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, matchwinner in Marseille’s last two matches, is, however, available. And it will be interesting to see the interplay between Abdel Barrada and Michy Batshuayi, who reportedly came to blows after the Nantes match, but laughed it off on twitter during the week.

After four straight Ligue 1 wins, scoring 17 goals in the process, Nice have hit the skids recently, taking only one point from their last three Ligue 1 games. A total non-performance at GFC Ajaccio gave the Corsicans their first ever top flight win and most recently Nice went down 2-1 at home to Nantes in the replayed Matchday 9 match, the first match having been halted at 2-2 due to a waterlogged pitch. Valère Germain, whose two goals in that halted match have been consigned to history, has lost all form, and Hatem Ben Arfa, despite being called back into the France squad, has lost some of his early-season élan. Both players seem to be suffering from the loss of Alassane Pléa from their impressive front three; Claude Puel will however have Vincent Koziello back from suspension to re-form an equally effective midfield three with Nampalys Mendy and Jean Seri, while defender Maxime Le Marchand is also back after sitting out the Nantes match.

It is not only local bragging rights at stake here – it is also a match-up between two teams whose fragile season could yet go either way, as one looks to maintain recent momentum, the other to reverse it. Expect goals, and home advantage perhaps helping Marseille to sneak a win.

TIPS

This week, we are backing Monaco to continue their winning run with another (1-0) victory away at Bordeaux. Also pick Marseille to keep the good form going at home to struggling Nice and winless Troyes to face another defeat when they travel to Lorient.

Picking Monaco, Marseille and Lorient to win with a £5 bet would win you around £47.

PREDICTIONS