Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th

[Aidymac]

[TABLE=class: couponTable, width: 617] [TR] [TH=class: firstColumn]Friday 15 August 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Draw[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]AJ Auxerre v Orleans (19:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.3[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.2[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.85[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.70 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]AS Nancy v AC Arles-Avignon (19:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]1.85[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.45[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]5.1[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.65 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Chamois Niortais v Le Havre AC (19:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.15[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.15[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]4.1[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.65 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]LB Châteauroux v Clermont Foot (19:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.9[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.05[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.87[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.05 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Nîmes Olympique v Dijon FCO (19:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.55[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.1[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.25[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.24 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Stade Lavallois v Créteil (19:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.45[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.15[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.35[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.41 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Tours v Valenciennes FC (19:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.15[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.2[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]4.1[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.15 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR] [TH] [/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Saturday 16 August 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Draw[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Stade Brestois 29 v Angers SCO (13:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.25[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.15[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.8[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.51 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR] [TH] [/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn]Monday 18 August 2014[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Draw[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Gazelec Ajaccio v AC Ajaccio (19:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.55[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.1[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.25[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.24 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn]Sochaux-Montbéliard v Troyes AC (19:30 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.75[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.1[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.95[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]102.52 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[meatman]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Auxerre – Orleans These two teams actually met on Tuesday night in the CDL. That match was played in Orleans and Auxerre won it on penalties. Both sides actually rotated their squads to some extent, although Auxerre changed things around more, so perhaps they could be slightly fresher tonight. Orleans at least don’t have any injuries to worry about, unlike the hosts. New signing (and already key) playmaker Vincent Gragnic is out for a month, whilst winger Frederic Sammaritano is out for up to 6 months with a torn achilles. Auxerre are otherwise at full strength apart from new man Livio Nabab still suffering from an ankle injury. He’ll be useful for them to have around when he returns. Despite those absences, I still really like Auxerre. As aforementioned, they should have a slight advantage in terms of squad rotation, plus they’ll also have a mental edge from beating Orleans on penalties. I’ve actually been impressed with AJA’s start to the season and they look like a pretty solid team. Sebastien Puygrenier at the back has already proven to be an absolute rock and their defence will be extremely difficult to penetrate. From what I’ve seen of Orleans so far, goalscoring is going to be a major problem for them this year. They just lack attacking qualities, despite being relatively solid themselves too. One goal may well be enough for Auxerre to win this game and odds of 2.02 on a -0.25 handicap are WAY too high! This is a clear ‘no brainer’ bet and I have no hesitation on staking a fair few units on the hosts. Prediction: Auxerre 2-0 Orleans Recommended bet: Auxerre -0.25 @ 2.02 6/10 Tours – Valenciennes The big news here is that Andy Delort is in the Tours squad and expected to start. His transfer saga is one of the more interesting stories this summer, but the bottom line is that he still remains a Tours player. It looks like either Brentford or Charlton are going to snap him up soon and he has a chance to put himself in the shop window tonight. Tours only have one absentee to worry about – left winger Kevin Diaz (susp) who might not have started anyway. It’s worth nothing they were pushed all the way to penalties on Tuesday night at home to Dijon (and lost), but the squad was rotated so a number of players should still be fresh. For VA, their only decent striker Anthony Le Tallec is ruled out injured, whilst key midfield lynchpin Enza Yamissi is suspended. In the long run, I think Valenciennes will be a decent enough team at this level and settle comfortably into midtable. But right now, they are still worth opposing due to the disruptive start they’ve had to the campaign. Squad fitness has improved and their performances have gradually gotten better, but I’d still expect Tours to have too much for them tonight. TFC often play with a lot of pace at home and their quick style is sure to hurt the visitors legs eventually. Even now, most of their players admit not being 100% ready which is a concern. Add into the mixer a couple of key injuries, and Tours definitely have the edge IMO. With a quality striker eager to impress a number of English clubs I’m expecting the hosts to register victory in what should be an open game. Prediction: Tours 3-1 Valenciennes Recommended bet: Tours -0.5 @ 2.05 5/10 Nimes – Dijon The home team are at full strength for this match, but Dijon continue to suffer with defensive problems. The duo of Zakaria Diallo and Pap Paye are still injured, whilst left back Samuel Souprayen is suspended for this encounter. The makeshift defence has performed to an ok level so far this year, but it could be a matter of time before it implodes. Dijon were also pushed all the way to penalties on Tuesday night away at Tours and 8 of the 11 who started that match, are also projected to start tonight. It’s likely that Nimes will have a fitness advantage for this game, the question is whether or not they can use it. It’s a real shame these two sides are facing each other tonight. Were they facing different opponents there’s every chance I’d have taken them both on. Dijon don’t really impress me much this year, they are always an overrated outfit, and considering their injury and potentially poor fitness situation, I’d love to bet against them. But Nimes are just a side that I don’t rate full stop! Only a freak first 30 mins at home to Angers enabled to win on the opening day, whilst they were extremely fortunate to have Valenciennes on their fixture list early doors (2-2 last week). I actually think Nimes have a great chance of picking up another 3 points here, but there’s no way I could trust them, even on a -0.25 line. Prediction: Nimes 2-1 Dijon NO BET Nancy – Arles The Lorraine outfit have now lost key man Jeff Louis to Standard Liege. They’ve signed Mana Dembele on loan from Guingamp but he’s not available for this game, so once again they look fairly light in attack. Winger, Fabrice Ehret is still out, as is CM Lossemy Karaboue. At least they can welcome back fellow midfielder Remi Walter for this encounter, although it’s questionable if he’ll start of not. The only injury problem Arles have is at LB where Erwan Quintin is ruled out. He’s quite a key man so the visitors could be vulnerable down that side of the field. Nancy are very much a ‘results’ team and they just get the job done as and when required. They ground out an impressive 1-0 away win at Orleans last week, and then on Tuesday night managed to progress in the cup despite fielding a weak side. The simple fact is they are extremely well coached by Pablo Correa and even when weakened they are still one of the strongest sides in Ligue 2. Defensively on paper (and on the field) they look absolutely rock solid and I’d be surprised if Arles scored tonight. One goal will probably be enough to win, although @ odds-on I’m not really interested in backing Nancy. The big danger is a 0-0 outcome, Arles themselves are also pretty difficult to penetrate. Prediction: Nancy 1-0 Arles NO BET Laval – Creteil Team news isn’t a factor here, neither side have any significant injuries or suspensions to worry about. Creteil did play away at CA Bastia on Tuesday night, but rested out a lot of players so I don’t think that’ll be a factor. The way I see this game is that Creteil are the better team but you can never underestimate Laval at home. They are again boosted by the appearance of key striker Christian Bekamenga in their squad. He still hasn’t transferred out of the club, so until that happens they are free to use him. I don’t really rate Laval much but it’s feasible they could draw or even win this game tonight. Tough one to call really and no result would surprise me. It will probably be an open encounter at least, so overs backers might be interested. I’m not bothered about betting here though, so I’ll swerve it. Prediction: Laval 2-2 Creteil NO BET Chateauroux – Clermont Both sides are pretty much at full strength here. Chateauroux have a sprinkling of injuries which might affect them slightly, but overall it shouldn’t be a factor. One thing to note is that the hosts had a ‘bye’ in the midweek cup so weren’t in action, giving them a full 7 days to prepare for this fixture. Clermont beat Istres 1-0 but did rotate somewhat, so physically there shouldn’t be that much of a negative effect on them. If the hosts were actually any good then they’d use a full week of preparation time to their advantage. The problem is Chateauroux have looked like a national division side so far this season. They were prepared for life in the third tier following relegation, but the Luzenac situation gave them a new life. It doesn’t look like they are ready to use that life yet though and it’s going to take some time for Pascal Gastien to sort this poor squad out. In all fairness, it’s still very early in the campaign and losing to Troyes at home and Creteil away isn’t a disaster. But starting tonight, they really need to show some signs of improvement. I personally don’t believe in them yet and I’d say it’s likely Clermont win. But on a DNB handicap, there’s no way I’d be interesting in backing the visitors, just not enough value. Prediction: Chateauroux 0-1 Clermont NO BET Niort – Le Havre Le Havre are the only team with absences, RB Jordan Ikoko and striker Moussa Sao missing out. Neither are massively important though so they shouldn’t be missed too much. Niort are at full strength tonight which should give them a boost. Just like last season, Le Havre have flattered to deceive and for some reason they haven’t been playing very good football. They seem sloppy, lack ideas and are especially starting games very poorly. Yet on paper, this squad is good and should be performing much better. Maybe it’s too early in the campaign to dismiss Havre and they might easily rebound, but based on what I’ve seen so far this year I think they’ll struggle tonight. Niort are very tough to crack in front of their own fans and I’m actually very close to betting on them -0.25. If the price rises some more, I’ll take a piece. For now, I couldn’t really justify backing the hosts @around the 1.85 mark because Havre probably still deserve some respect, but I’m expecting a tight home win. Prediction: Niort 1-0 Le Havre EDIT - Niort -0.25 @ 1.95 4/10 is now a bet

[malabgd]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Nîmes v Dijon Nîmes: Benmeziane (0/0 f), Hsissane (0/0 m), Omrani (0/0 m), Galván (0/0 m) Dijon: Amalfitano (1/0 m), Diallo (0/0 d), Paye (0/0 m), Souprayen (1/0 d) Information from more then 50 football leagues and competitions at: www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

[senk]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th I was about to write a preview about the Tours game but meatman said it all. Tours is a solid home side over the years, hard to beat and they always score goals. Delort their key man is fit and ready to play, only his presence is already a big boost for the team. Upfront they have a lot of goalscoring threat and I have no doubt they will find the net tonight. Valenciennes on a downfall, missing two key players in the centre. They got beaten by troyes in midweek and played 55 minutes with 10 men. Tours played a home game so should be fresher without traveling. Valenciennes conceded 10 goals in their last 4 games which is a lot considering the sides they faced. I really doubt wether Valenciennes will find the net but with Tours playing aggresive and high up the pitch they often concede too. Home side should be reslly hungry for a win here after two straight losses now. Tours to win medium stakes for me and Tours over 1.5 team goals also medium stakes. Goodluck!

[DorianGray]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Nice to see you again mate :D. Welcome back!

[Mindcrime]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th meatman, you're a monster! Niort-0,25 at Pinnacle is 1.917, should I take it with a stake of 5-6/10?

[meatman]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th

meatman' date=' you're a monster! Niort-0,25 at Pinnacle is 1.917, should I take it with a stake of 5-6/10?[/quote'] I think anything 1.90+ you could warrant a bet on them, although I personally want slightly more. I am less certain they will win compared to my other 2 bets, but there comes a time when a price gets irresistible. If you fancy it, then take them. Although it might be that an even bigger price becomes available as the day progresses, for some strange reason they've been drifting all day

[Mindcrime]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Thank you! What price would make you bet on Clermont DNB? Currently it's 1,96, also on Pinnacle.

[meatman]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th

Thank you! What price would make you bet on Clermont DNB? Currently it's 1' date='96, also on Pinnacle.[/quote'] I'd be wanting at least a +0.25 line really. Chateauroux might have been shit so far, but history suggests not to oppose them on their own artificial surface. Plus, you should only really bet on away teams in any French ligue if they are a proven quality force, which Clermont aren't.

[meatman]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Niort -0.25 @ 1.95 4/10 is now also an official bet of mine

[leventbay]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Niort is 2.20, bet365.. maybe i will also bet on them now..

[senk]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Odds for Auxerre going up like crazy in the last few hours.. Hope it's not something we don't know about!

[DorianGray]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th It probably is. They're losing.

[Moog]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Another 1-0 home lead thrown away by Nancy late in the game :D

[west64]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Well Auxere is officially on my shitlist, so this season their games are no bet games.. Realised that its very useful to make a shitlist early in the season, so I can avoid potential losses :)

[meatman]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th FT Auxerre 0-1 Orleans FT Niort 1-0 Le Havre FT Tours 1-0 Valenciennes Weird night. Only two matches were eventually streamed so I was very blind in a lot of fixtures. I can only comment on the Tours match. They should have been 2 or 3-0 up at HT, and despite a nervous ending just about deserved the 3 points. The Auxerre v Orleans pre match betting was VERY STRANGE. Amazingly, Auxerre got as high as 1.96 on a DNB line. Orleans were close to kicking off the match as outright favourites! Now this might sound like sour grapes but to me, this just smelt extremely dodgy, especially as Orelans' goal was a penalty.Why would the odds on Auxerre drift for no apparent reason, in a game they would usually kick off as an odds-on favourite in! Still, with 2/3 winners this wasn't the worst night in the world for me. Still waiting for that 'big' night but I am sure it will come soon

[Mindcrime]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th I'm satisfied with the result, I staked the matches as you did and I have a small profit out of this, so it's nice! Any punts expected for tomorrow and Monday?

[meatman]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th

I'm satisfied with the result, I staked the matches as you did and I have a small profit out of this, so it's nice! Any punts expected for tomorrow and Monday?

always hard to tell. unlikely tomorrow but something might come up for Monday

[senk]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th

FT Auxerre 0-1 Orleans FT Niort 1-0 Le Havre FT Tours 1-0 Valenciennes Weird night. Only two matches were eventually streamed so I was very blind in a lot of fixtures. I can only comment on the Tours match. They should have been 2 or 3-0 up at HT, and despite a nervous ending just about deserved the 3 points. The Auxerre v Orleans pre match betting was VERY STRANGE. Amazingly, Auxerre got as high as 1.96 on a DNB line. Orleans were close to kicking off the match as outright favourites! Now this might sound like sour grapes but to me, this just smelt extremely dodgy, especially as Orelans' goal was a penalty.Why would the odds on Auxerre drift for no apparent reason, in a game they would usually kick off as an odds-on favourite in! Still, with 2/3 winners this wasn't the worst night in the world for me. Still waiting for that 'big' night but I am sure it will come soon

That's what I thought.. So weird sometimes, odds suddenly rise a lot without any clear explanation. But like I said probably the bookies knew something or someone stakes a LOT on Orleans but for what reason? We will probably never find out and hopefully it only happens a few times per season. Match fixing is something all around the world happens especially in the lower leagues cause players and refs are easier to convince of a certain amount of money cause their pay-roll is much lower. Auxerre anyways cost me but overall indeed a small profit. Tours second goal would have been great but overall also Valenciennes had their chances. Now hope ligue 1 will deliver some goods!

[Aidymac]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Good stuff Meatman, any profit is a good profit. :ok

[meatman]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Brest – Angers The hosts have a problem at left back where regular starter Wilfried Moimbe is injured. Replacing him will be Tripy Makonda, who is a very poor defender. He’s not too bad going forwards and can cross it well, but his positioning and concentration at the back is often questionable. I also have my concerns at RB for Brest where Brendan Chardonnet is still the projected starter. He’s not too bad but I really feel like they could start someone better than him at this spot. Elsewhere, they are at full strength and even welcome back winger Chahir Belghazouani from injury. Brest were pushed to extra time on Tuesday night and fielded quite a strong team. Roughly 6 or 7 guys who started that game will probably start again today too. Angers travel here at full strength and having completely rotated their squad in the midweek cup. Only a few defenders who played on Tuesday night will feature here, everyone else was pretty much given a breather. I certainly think that Angers will have a slight physical advantage heading into this contest. I also think they’ll have the tactical edge and have a good chance of winning. Jonathan Kodjia should have a field day on the right wing facing up to Makonda, whilst on the other side of the field Eudeline, Bouka Moutou or Boufal should have plenty of success against Chardonnet. Brest haven’t really looked impressive so far this season. They managed to somehow turn around a 0-1 deficit against Clermont in the opening round, but it was a far from convincing display. Of more concern was failing to beat GFCA in the midweek cup at home, despite fielding a strong team. They could only draw 1-1 and couldn’t even win after extra time. Reportedly, their performance was really poor and below the standard required. Angers have potential weapons to catch them out today and Brest need to raise their levels. It’s possible they could do this though and personally I still respect Brest. In this western derby fixture they have a great recent record – every year they seem to beat Angers at home. Alex Dupont’s men tend to find a way to grind out results, so for that reason I’ll swerve betting on Angers. But please don’t let me put anyone off backing them, because I’d be surprised if they lost this contest. Prediction: Brest 1-2 Angers NO BET

[mandrew420]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th I seen how you two agreed on the Tours game and followed your opinion. I made a decent profit thanks to you guys! :ok

[mikemanager]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Very impressed with the knowledge on here, thanks to Meatman & Senk, I took Tours as my main bet and doubled my bank, I will be following you both closely, well done.

[senk]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 22nd & 23rd Monday night in Ligue 2 often low scoring or draw heavy affairs but tonight I see it different. FC Sochaux hosting Troyes. Both teams going the opposite directions. Troyes a real title contender while Sochaux relegated last year and are going downhill. Home team lost last week in the cup against Laval with 2-0. Before that they won 0-2 away at Ajaccio in the ligue 2 and another loss at home 0-1 against Orleans. Not a great start imo. They lost several key players from last season including important forwards J.Ayew and Mayuka, regular defenders Corchia, Carlao, Marange, Kante and Peybernes. Regular midfielder Prcic, T. Doubai, Nogueira, Boukari and goalkeeper Pouplin. Almost their whole starting line-up from last season. They still have players like Sunzu, Faussurier, Lopy, Berenguer, Diallo, Contout and Bakambu but some of them are also absent for this game. Relegation is never a positive sign cause financially clubs are in heavy weather due expensive contracts and they often have to release a lot of their regulars. Their squad tonight : Pele, Camara, Faussurier, Zouma, Mignot, Sunzu, Vivian, Cros, Roussillon, Diallo, Ilaimaharitra, Guerbert, Lopy, Berenguer, Habran, Malsa, Diedhiou and Toko Ekambi. Notable missings are : forwards Makambu and Contout. Haven't seen much of the new squad but the results show they are having a tough time and they face one of the best teams in this league especially away from home. Ajew and Mayuka left now Bakambu and Contout are out they produced 21 goals together last year that's pretty much their whole offensive line. Butin is a regular now but he only played as a sub last year and scored twice. Toko Ekambi is a player from the National ligue that's 3th division in France. He scored 14 goals last season and scored one last week as well. Anyways, they are heavily reduced upfront and Troyes is not easy to penetrate. I really expect Sochaux to be defensive tonight but I can't see Troyes fail here their overall quality is a lot better and confidence is sky high at the moment. Last year Troyes also won away at Sochaux with 1-2 in Coupe de la ligue. Troyes are having a great season so far. They won all their games so far scoring 5 goals while only conceding once. They don't have any notable missings tonight which is really important. Their squad looks fitter than ever and like I said positive atmosphere in their camp ofcourse. They signed a couple of decent players this summer while they kept all their key players which is really important. They can keep moving forward and developing their game style. Their squad that traveled to Sochaux : Petric, Grandel, Rincon, N'Diaye, Carole, Colin, Othon, Lacour, Pi, Ayasse, Darbion, Court, Nivet, Gimbert, Jean, Cabot. Notable missing is Saunier but he wasn't a starter anyways. In midweek they won comfortable away at Valenciennes while they played with a couple of subs too so they should have no fatigue problems at all. Odds for the away win are around 2.50 which is pretty high imo. Sochaux are surely no push-overs but current form, squad size, difference in class and especially positive atmosphere all favors the away side. I will back them with medium stakes. Goodluck all.

[meatman]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 22nd & 23rd GFCA – AC Ajaccio For this Ajaccio derby, the hosts are at full strength and have no injuries to worry about. The visitors meanwhile, have key defender Ronald Zubar suffering from a virus and is ruled out. In midfield, they’ve lost Ricardo Faty to Standard Liege. As of yet, they haven’t replaced him properly. The rest of their squad is in good heath, give or take a couple of fringe players who are suffering injury. This is a crunch derby fixture which could be potentially volatile. Corsican derbies are known to have crowd trouble and all sorts of shit could kick off. The stadium is a sellout tonight, although only 150 away fans are allowed. I expect tensions to be high and all of the players are sure to be nervous. The first and foremost priority is not to lose a fixture like this. At least that way, you can hold your head up high the next day without any embarrassment. Defeat would be disastrous for whichever team suffered it. From a betting point of view, it’s probably best to stay away from this game, at least until some of the play has unfolded. Literally anything could happen here. on form, GFCA look to have a decent chance of winning, but for derby games, form can often mean nothing. It does look to me like GFCA have adapted fairly well to life back in Ligue 2 so far though, whilst AC Ajaccio are still suffering from a relegation hangover. There is more pressure on the visitors here and they just seem to be struggling at the moment. I’ve got a feeling GFCA might win, but I couldn’t be confident enough to bet on them pre match. Prediction: GFCA 2-1 AC Ajaccio NO BET Sochaux – Troyes Both teams aren’t really suffering from any injuries. Sochaux have their captain Teddy Butin ruled out yet again, the bloke is constantly on the sidelines, but isn’t really that important. Troyes also have their skipper Mathieu Saunier on the treatment table, but similar to Butin he’s another who’s rarely healthy so shouldn’t be missed much. Both of these teams are currently the two bookies favourites to win Ligue 2, so some would call it a crunch promotion battle. At the moment though, Troyes are playing much better football than Sochaux, so head into the match with an edge. I still think Les Lionceaux are suffering from a relegation hangover. They do at least have 3 points on the board thanks to a flukey 2-0 win at Ajaccio in the last round, but the manner of their performances have been worrying. The team doesn’t seem very positive right now and they effectively gifted Laval a win in the cup last week by fielding an extremely weak team. Fans and media are expecting them to be a major force, but from what I’ve seen so far they are well short of the mark to contend for promotion. Troyes meanwhile, have finally managed to find a way to grind out results. This was their problem last season but so far the signs are impressive. ESTAC have managed to win a couple of 1-0s and also progressed in the cup, but there is much more in their tank. This is a team with great attacking potential and it’s only a matter of time before they really explode and hammer someone. That might not be tonight, but it won’t be far away IMO. This is the sort of game in which they’d be more than happy just to pick up an ‘ugly’ victory. Ultimately, I expect them to get the 3 points, but the bookies aren’t taking any chances. Troyes are priced up as favourites for this match, which is totally wrong. The value is actually on Sochaux +0.25 but what’s the use of value if you don’t win? No bet for me, but I do fancy the visitors to prevail. Prediction: Sochaux 1-2 Troyes NO BET

[Simeon Borisof]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 22nd & 23rd

Monday night in Ligue 2 often low scoring or draw heavy affairs but tonight I see it different. FC Sochaux hosting Troyes. Both teams going the opposite directions. Troyes a real title contender while Sochaux relegated last year and are going downhill. Home team lost last week in the cup against Laval with 2-0. Before that they won 0-2 away at Ajaccio in the ligue 2 and another loss at home 0-1 against Orleans. Not a great start imo. They lost several key players from last season including important forwards J.Ayew and Mayuka, regular defenders Corchia, Carlao, Marange, Kante and Peybernes. Regular midfielder Prcic, T. Doubai, Nogueira, Boukari and goalkeeper Pouplin. Almost their whole starting line-up from last season. They still have players like Sunzu, Faussurier, Lopy, Berenguer, Diallo, Contout and Bakambu but some of them are also absent for this game. Relegation is never a positive sign cause financially clubs are in heavy weather due expensive contracts and they often have to release a lot of their regulars. Their squad tonight : Pele, Camara, Faussurier, Zouma, Mignot, Sunzu, Vivian, Cros, Roussillon, Diallo, Ilaimaharitra, Guerbert, Lopy, Berenguer, Habran, Malsa, Diedhiou and Toko Ekambi. Notable missings are : forwards Makambu and Contout. Haven't seen much of the new squad but the results show they are having a tough time and they face one of the best teams in this league especially away from home. Ajew and Mayuka left now Bakambu and Contout are out they produced 21 goals together last year that's pretty much their whole offensive line. Butin is a regular now but he only played as a sub last year and scored twice. Toko Ekambi is a player from the National ligue that's 3th division in France. He scored 14 goals last season and scored one last week as well. Anyways, they are heavily reduced upfront and Troyes is not easy to penetrate. I really expect Sochaux to be defensive tonight but I can't see Troyes fail here their overall quality is a lot better and confidence is sky high at the moment. Last year Troyes also won away at Sochaux with 1-2 in Coupe de la ligue. Troyes are having a great season so far. They won all their games so far scoring 5 goals while only conceding once. They don't have any notable missings tonight which is really important. Their squad looks fitter than ever and like I said positive atmosphere in their camp ofcourse. They signed a couple of decent players this summer while they kept all their key players which is really important. They can keep moving forward and developing their game style. Their squad that traveled to Sochaux : Petric, Grandel, Rincon, N'Diaye, Carole, Colin, Othon, Lacour, Pi, Ayasse, Darbion, Court, Nivet, Gimbert, Jean, Cabot. Notable missing is Saunier but he wasn't a starter anyways. In midweek they won comfortable away at Valenciennes while they played with a couple of subs too so they should have no fatigue problems at all. Odds for the away win are around 2.50 which is pretty high imo. Sochaux are surely no push-overs but current form, squad size, difference in class and especially positive atmosphere all favors the away side. I will back them with medium stakes. Goodluck all.

I think this game is a typical example of a banana skin.It's very risky to bet on AW in France,especially in League 2 and it's Monday after all.Sochaux won't be losing for the whole season.I think the tradition will be kept and two draws to be seen is very likely to happen.I am leaning towards a low scoring affair in the other fixture-Ajaccio vs Ajaccio.Both teams don't score a lot,relying mostly on their defence.

[senk]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th I agree about the unders in the Ajaccio derby. I also think both lack scoring potential and there is so much at stake in these kind of games many errors in midfield etc will follow. First thing on their minds is to not LOOSE this derby might see a defensive aproach from both sides but if I had to choose a winner it would surely be the home side. Their form is way better at the moment and are not conceding that many goals too only two in four games. At home they were superb last season as well. Ajaccio is another relegated team and things might be hard at start. Lots of new players lost a lot of regulars who carried the team on the pitch. I think this fixture is more of a banana skin cause it's a derby and in derbies many weird things happen all the time. If Butin is also out Sochaux than they really only have Toko Ekambi upfront which is surely not enough on a normal day. I will stick to my bet on Troyes with much confidence. I might cover the 1-1 draw live if they play bad but pre-game I think the odds are high seen the current circumstances. Goodluck boys

[senk]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Troyes won the game as expected. Pretty equal game overall but the difference in class was in favor of the away side especially upfront. FT 0-2 good win for us. Cu on friday!

[Masturbinho]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th What happened to Luzenac, are they going to be admitted in Ligue 2? I think everyone would love a team from a mountain village of 650 people on such a high level.

[Simeon Borisof]

Re: Ligue 2 > August 15th - 18th Troyes won on the road while the expected under 2.5 in Ajaccio derby came in too.It was a profitable night indeed.