Fourteen more sleeps and two more Ligue 1 rounds until Christmas! After a fascinating (we need to check that – ed.) midweek round of European games, Ligue 1 is back, but still features no away fans. They’ll be back for the midweek Coupe de la Ligue round. The team has picked out three fixtures worth your attention, as well as our predictions overall.
Lille OSC v FC Lorient – @Rich_Allen85
Problems? What problems? Things appear to be on the up for Lille. After a fairly torrid spell under Herve Renard came to an end, salvation has been found in the most unlikely of sources: step forward Frederic Antonetti. The no-nonsense former Rennes coach has overseen something of a mini-revival in the last couple of weeks. After an initial loss to Angers, les Dogues doubled their number of Ligue 1 wins in the space of two games. An impressive display in their home win over Saint-Etienne was followed up with an arguably more unlikely victory in Normandy as they defeated high-flying Caen.
Chief benefactor of Antonetti’s arrival has been summer signing Yassine Benzia. With three goals in two games, the young forward seems to have found a rhythm many Lyon fans will be wishing they had seen more often before he moved north. Only time will tell if this finally is the making of Benzia or just another false dawn. For now, Lille fans can relish watching a young player full of confidence, looking happy, and scoring – as in the win over Saint-Etienne – spectacular goals. Who would have thought it would be the gruff Antonetti who would provide the inspiration!
For Lorient, they come into this game with only one defeat since the end of September and with the league’s second highest scorer – and arguably signing of the season so far – Benjamin Moukandjo. Whilst there will no doubt be naysayers pointing out that four of his 11 goals have come from the spot (to be fair, four of Zlatan’s 12 have been penalties too), Moukandjo has proven consistently this season that he has that brilliant ability of popping up in the right place at the right time. For a striker, there is not a lot more you can ask.
It does therefore seem to be a battle between the two front men. Who comes out on top there will almost certainly decide the outcome of the game. Whilst Moukandjo may have the slight edge in terms of a wider range of supply options such as Raphael Guerreiro, Romain Phillippoteaux and Ligue 1’s Most Underrated Player (Copyright Jeremy Smith) Yann Jouffre, the Antonetti honeymoon period doesn’t look like ending on Saturday evening.
AS Monaco v AS Saint-Etienne – @Philby1976
Both sides are in middling runs of form in their last five games (three in Ligue 1 and two Europa) in this fourth v sixth place tie. The hosts beat Bastia last weekend but got badly done by Spurs midweek to go out of Europe, and the visitors also have just one win in five, against Guingamp in round 15, although they drew at home to Lazio on Thursday.
The midweek European squads demonstrated the clubs’ respective situations: Monaco took as many first-teamers to London as they could, but the starting back-line (Wallace, Toulalan, Echiejile) suggested that Leonardo Jardim had given up their chances of progressing as a bad job before a ball was kicked. Meanwhile, ASSE had called up three guys without shirt numbers for the hey-does-anyone-have-snacks dead rubber against Lazio, and even started one of them, defender Benjamin Karamoko, who was unfortunately taken off midway through the first half with a knee injury. Ismaël Diomandé also had to leave the field due to a muscle problem in the second half.
The big difference this season for Monaco is that their defence is not what it was – last season, despite frequent staffing changes back there, they had the meanest backline in terms not just of goals conceded, but also shots they allowed their opponents to get off, and their efficiency in stopping them. All those figures have dropped off.
However, Monaco are less leaky at home, and still edge things on shot conversion; meanwhile the more enthusiastic Saint-Etienne aren’t great at scoring on the road. They do have Romain Hamouma, who like Nolan Roux was rested for the Lazio game, but if the visitors don’t score, this may say more about their attacking efficiency than the quality of the defence they’re facing.
Paris SG v Olympique Lyonnais – @JeremySmith98
What a difference a year makes! Last season Lyon finished an impressive second to PSG in Ligue 1, rivalling the champions until the final month of the campaign and drawing both matches against them 1-1 (PSG relying on a Verratti dive to secure the second point). This year PSG are running away with the title while Lyon are in disarray. Changing room squabbles, new signings underperforming, other players getting too big for their boots, a treatment room (un)fit to burst… Rumour has it that coach Hubert Fournier’s days are numbered and he may become only the fourth Lyon coach sacked mid-season during Jean-Michel Aulas’ 28-year tenure.
PSG are of course in rude health. Despite the continued absence of Marco Verratti and Javier Pastore, the Qatari riches mean that the squad is still packed with quality. Serge Aurier is re-approaching his best, Angel di Maria has bedded in in a way Claudio Beauvue can only dream of and, despite not appearing to hit the heights, Zlatan is currently top of the scoring and assisting charts. A characteristically uninspired but ultimately straightforward win over Shakhtar came off the back of a 2-0 win at Nice and PSG’s record in their last 16 matches reads 13 wins, two draws and only the undeserved defeat to Real Madrid. Things could barely be more serene for Laurent Blanc’s men.
Lyon just can’t catch a break at the moment. After a run of one draw and four losses in all competitions, a very impressive 2-0 win at the Mestalla against Valencia should have given the beleaguered Hubert Fournier reasons for cheer. However, Alexandre Lacazette sustained an injury in scoring the second that will keep him out until the new year, and Mathieu Valbuena also misses the PSG trip with a knock picked up against Angers. Christophe Jallet may also be missing, along with longer-term absentees Umtiti, Kalulu, Fofana and Fekir. The one ray of light is, at least, the return to fitness of Clement Grenier, who was excellent against Valencia, on the front left of a 4-3-3, with which Fournier may well stick (if he can find 10 fit outfield players).
I think PSG’s extra day’s rest will be crucial here — only joking, not a factor at all, surely a home win all the way.
Predictions
A sterling performance from Rich in the last round with three correct scores means he is the form predictor with 34 points from the last five games, with Pete close behind on 31. This week’s predictions include a festive show of solidarity with 5 picks apiece for MHSC 2-1 EAG and PSG 3-1 OL, which are 15/2 and 19/2 respectively, or 89/1 in combination (indicative odds).