Ligue 1 & 2 Predictions > Aug 21st - 24th

[StevieDay1983]

Check out the odds for the opening weekend of Ligue 1 and 2 matches coming up for the 2020/21 season. Plenty to think about ahead of the return of the French domestic league. 

[StevieDay1983]

It's just been confirmed that Friday's game between Marseille and St Etienne has been postponed after four Marseille players tested positive for covid-19...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53817571

[StevieDay1983]

Bordeaux vs Nantes

The 2020/21 Ligue 1 season kicks off at 6pm BST on Friday night with Bordeaux versus Nantes at the Matmut Atlantique replacing the previously scheduled televised game between Marseille and St Etienne that has been postponed due to that covid-19 outbreak. Both of these two sides ended up finishing in mid-table mediocrity last season so can they begin this campaign on a more positive note with a win?

Bordeaux haven't really made any big moves in the transfer market this summer but have seen a number of multi-million pound departures from the club. Goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni moved to Angers for £6.75 million, winger Francois Kamano departed to Lokomotiv Moscow for £4.95 million, and attacking midfielder Yassine Benrahou left to Nimes for £1.35 million. The loan contract of talented Monaco youngster Youssef Ait Bennasser also came to an end. Head coach Jean Louis Gasset must now prepare his weakened side for a campaign with this opening game against a side they have beaten 8 times in their last 11 meetings including winning 4 of the last 5 encounters by a 2-0 score-line.

Nantes have been a little bit more productive in the off-season regarding transfers with head coach Christian Gourcuff spending £4.5 million on left winger Moses Simon from La Liga side Levante. The free transfer signings of Jean-Charles Castellato from Brest and Pedro Chirivella from Liverpool will add depth to this squad. Fortunately, there have also been no big name departures so you could argue this Nantes side is in a stronger place than it was last season. However, the club did end last season with just 1 win in their previous 8 league matches and they've also lost 13 of their last 20 opening league games.

Opening matches of a league campaign are always tricky to decipher and the circumstances that last season ended and this season is beginning under have only added more confusion. You'd be just as well off spinning a roulette wheel to pick a winner. I feel Nantes have strengthened their squad better than Bordeaux but with home advantage and a more competent manager at the helm I think Bordeaux could sneak this one but I am wary both sides could cancel each other out.

Bordeaux Draw No Bet @ 1.73 with Boylesports

Total Goals Scored Under 1.5 @ 2.40 with 888Sport

[StevieDay1983]

Dijon vs Angers

Well, the opening game to the Ligue 1 season last night was a bit of an anti-climax but fortunately we saw that coming so we made a profit! Next up, it's the 4pm BST clash on Saturday afternoon between Dijon and Angers at the Stade Gaston Gerard. The home side narrowly avoided relegation last year and they're up against a visiting team that had to settle for mid-table mediocrity last season.

Dijon know that it's all about survival once again this season. Head coach Stephane Jobard saw his team finish 16th last season but it was enough to stay up and that was mission accomplished as far as the club were concerned. A few signings have been brought in to strengthen the side including left midfielder Alex Dobre from Bournemouth for £900,000 and the double loan signings of right midfielder Eric Ebimbe from PSG and central midfielder Pape Cheikh from Lyon. The departure of centre back Nayef Aguerd to Rennes for £4.5 million is a big loss and the fact the club hasn't appeared to sign a replacement for him is a bit of a concern. This is a Dijon side that turned their home ground into a fortress last season and are currently unbeaten in their last 12 home league games.

Angers face a pivotal campaign this year. The club did well last year with head coach Stephane Moulin seeing his team finish in 11th place when the league was cancelled. Big moves have been made in the transfer market with Bordeaux goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni being brought in for £6.75 million. Left back Souleyman Doumbia has been signed from Rennes for £2.7 million and left back Enzo Ebosse has also been acquired for £450,000 from Le Mans. The exit of central midfielder Vincent Pajot for £630,000 to Metz shouldn't impact the team too badly. The big worry for Angers is their away form with the team only winning 2 of their last 10 away league matches. Scoring goals on the road has also been an issue with just 8 goals scored in their last 13 away league games.

Once again, I'm not expecting a thriller. The disrupted pre-season will undoubtedly have had its impact on the players. I can certainly see Dijon extending their undefeated record at home. It was key to their survival last season (taking the league suspension out of consideration). Angers have had their demons on the road and I've not seen them address their lack of goals on the road problem by bringing in any exciting attacking players in the summer. It could well be more of the same in the final third.

Dijon Draw No Bet @ 2.20 with Bet365

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.60 with Betfair

[StevieDay1983]

Lille vs Rennes

The Ligue 1 opening weekend action continues later on Saturday night at 8pm BST when Lille take on Rennes in a potentially pulsating clash at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. The hosts begin an exciting campaign that will see them play in this season's Europa League and they start against a visiting team that have qualified for this season's Champions League. It's all to play for here!

Lille made a late push for Europe last season with 6 wins from their last 7 league games before the league was suspended. Christophe Galtier has done a solid job as head coach and he'll be looking to find that perfect balance between competing in the Europa League and making a push for progress in the league. The big signing of pre-season has been the £28 million purchase of Canadian attacking midfielder Jonathan David from Gent. He'll add some influence in the final third. It was a much-needed addition after the club sold star striker Victor Osimhen to Napoli for £63 million. The team will want to hit the ground running and with just 2 defeats at home in 15 league games last season including 9 clean sheets during that run there'll be an emphasis on the defence to keep up their resilient performances.

Rennes come into this season with interesting times ahead. Head coach Julien Stephan has guided his team to the next level with qualification for Europe's elite club competition. The club hasn't exactly gone all out in preparation for this campaign with the £10 million acquisition of Lyon left winger Martin Terrier the only real big name addition. Nayef Aguerd being signed from Dijon for £4.5 million to help solidify the centre back positions is a shrewd signing though. Rennes ended last season with 3 consecutive wins to pip Lille to the final Champions League spot by a single point. That was equivalent to 0.04 in points per game. The fact Rennes won just 4 of their last 12 away league games means they'll see a point as a positive here.

When these two sides last met at this venue back in February, it was Lille who prevailed as 1-0 winners. That result will give their players the self belief that they can get revenge for Rennes snatching that Champions League spot from them. I think Lille's home form combined with Rennes suffering away day woes could be the key clue to how this game will go. It'll be tight but I can see another win for Lille.

Lille to Win @ 2.26 with Novibet

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.65 with VBet

[StevieDay1983]

Monaco vs Reims

One of the more fascinating clashes of the opening weekend of Ligue 1 action takes place at 12pm BST on Sunday afternoon when Monaco host Reims at the Stade Louis II. The home side will be looking to get back among the title contenders after another disappointing campaign last season and they face a visiting team who exceeded expectations by qualifying for the Europa League last season.

Monaco were long one of the big players in French football but times have been hard recently. The last title came in 2016/17 and since then the club has been on a downward spiral. The appointment of former Bayern Munich head coach Niko Kovac in July divided opinion. The signing of centre back Axel Disasi from their opponents for today's game for £11.7 million was the only real big money move made by the team in the off-season. A number of outgoings such as Kevin N'Doram, Kamil Glik, and Lyle Foster are unlikely to really weaken the team. It'll be interesting to see how Kovac sets them up for this first game. Les Monegasgues won just 3 of their last 10 league games but with a new man in charge it's going to be hard to predict how they'll perform in this opener.

Reims turned in arguably the performance of the season last year by finishing in 6th place and qualifying for the Europa League. Head coach David Guion did a stunning job for the side with only PSG and Marseille losing less league games than Reims. A number of shrewd signings have left the fans happy with central midfielder Valon Berisha arriving from Lazio for £3.87 million, striker Anastasios Donis coming in from Stuttgart for £3.6 million, and hot prospect Fraser Hornby being signed from Everton for £1.8 million. Losing Disasi to Monaco is a blow and his presence will be missed in the back-line. The departure of left back Hassane Kamara to Nice for £3.6 million also hurts their strength in depth at the back. Still, Guion clearly has a plan and a set-up that works for Reims. They are difficult to beat with 5 of their last 11 league games ending in a 1-1 draw last season.

If I'm being honest here, I don't have a clue how Kovac will approach this game. The Bayern job undoubtedly left a sour taste in his mouth. His record with Croatia under-21s and the Croatia national team was impressive but he underwhelmed at Eintracht Frankfurt and failed at Bayern. Has he got the attributes to be a club manager? Or is he not tactically astute enough? I think this is a game where Reims should be backed to get something from this game because even if Kovac does succeed at Monaco it could not happen right away.

Reims Double Chance @ 1.88 with Unibet

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.66 with Novibet

[StevieDay1983]

Lorient vs Strasbourg

Ligue 1 new boys Lorient kick off their top flight in French football with a 2pm BST kick-off against last season's mid-table side Strasbourg on Sunday afternoon at the Stade du Moustoir. Can the promoted side begin their new campaign in the best way possible with a win or will the experienced visiting side be the party poopers on this monumental day for the home club?

Lorient fans will be buzzing for this first game of the new season in the top flight after their relegation back in 2016/17. Manager Christophe Pelissier deserves all the plaudits for getting the team promoted. As expected, the club has worked on a budget this summer with striker Adrian Grbic, right winger Stephane Diarra, attacking midfielder Quentin Boisgard, left back Jeremy Morel, keeper Matthieu Dreyer, centre back Josue Homawoo, and Trevoh Chalobah all joining for a combined fee of just over £1 million with the majority coming in on a loan or free transfer. The team did lose 4 of their last 5 games at the back end of last season so they'll want to forget that form with a win here.

Strasbourg are the exact sort of side that will relish this opening game challenge. Head coach Thierry Laurey guided his team to 10th in the table last season. They'll feel aggrieved by the manner in which the season finished given they were only 3 points outside the European qualification spots when play was suspended. The signing of striker Majeed Waris from Porto for £1.8 million hasn't exactly shown huge ambition but the fact they've managed to keep the crux of last season's squad together shows there'll be a unity and familiarity that will allow them to hit the ground running. Strasbourg were ruthless against the so-called weaker teams last season winning 5 of their 6 league games against teams in the bottom four. That also included keeping clean sheets away against the bottom two clubs.

Matches between these two sides are hardly packed full of goals. Only 4 goals have been scored in the past four meetings between these two in the top flight of French football. I have a feeling we could see a similar outcome here. Strasbourg have gone for the consistency approach this season and that could see them have a fine start. I'm still doubting their squad depth but they should have enough to see off what will be an enthusiastic and spirited Lorient side. I'll back the draw no bet just because you can never fully write a newly promoted side off at home on the opening weekend.

Strasbourg Draw No Bet @ 2.20 with SportNation

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.64 with Novibet

[StevieDay1983]

Nimes vs Brest

OK, so the Montpellier versus Lyon game has been postponed after Lyon's heartbreaking defeat in the Champions League Semi-Final to Bayern Munich so we crack on with the remaining 2pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon which is the clash between Nimes and Brest at the Stade des Costieres. Will either of these two sides that avoided relegation last season begin this campaign with a victory?

Nimes were one of the few sides praising the suspension of Ligue 1 after narrowly avoiding relegation on points per game by one spot and 0.14 points per game. Former head coach Bernard Blaquart was sent on his way after 5 years in charge at the club with new gaffer Jerome Arpinon being hired to try and do better. The new man at the helm has made a few moves during the summer transfer window including signing defensive midfielder Andres Cubas from Club Atletico Talleres for £2.6 million, attacking midfielder Yassine Benrahou from Bordeaux for £1.35 million, left back Birger Meling from Rosenborg for £900,000, and keeper Baptiste Reynet from Toulouse for £300,000. No major departures means you can argue the squad is stronger for this campaign that the last. Inconsistent home form hampered Nimes last season but they did end the season with 3 clean sheets in their last 6 home league games.

Brest ended up finishing safely away from the drop when the league was suspended last season. Manager Oliver Dall'Oglio guided the club to 14th in the table and they were closer to the European qualification spots than they were to relegation. The club got rid of a lot of dead wood over the summer with money being invested to bring new signings in including right winger Franck Honorat from St Etienne for £4.5 million, centre back Christophe Herelle from Nice for £3.6 million, left winger Heriberto Tavares from Benfica for £1 million, and central midfielder Romain Faivre from Monaco for £360,000. These additions were needed after Brest failed to score in 6 of their last 9 away league games.

This match could be an intriguing one given the changes that Brest have made to their playing squad. Nimes were far from emphatic at home last season and if Brest can gel quickly then they could steal all 3 points here. I think Nimes have made some shrewd signings of their own though and we could see this game end in a stalemate. Not sure either side would be overly disappointed with that outcome.

Draw @ 3.34 with VBet

BTTS @ 1.83 with Gentingbet

[StevieDay1983]

Nice vs Lens

Another one of the Ligue 1 new boys are in action today when Lens travel to Nice for this 4pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon at the Allianz Riviera. Can the newly promoted side start their first campaign back in the top flight of French football with a win or will the hosts build on last season's positive campaign and begin this one on a positive note by winning?

Nice appear to be a side evolving under head coach Patrick Vieira. It wasn't always plain sailing for Les Aiglons but they ended up finishing 5th last season qualifying for the Europa League and they weren't a million miles away from the top three to qualify for the Champions League. The club has brought in a number of new signings with centre back Robson Bambu from Club Athletico Paranaense for £7.2 million, striker Amine Gouiri from Lyon for £6.3 million, right back Jordan Lotomba from Young Boys for £5.4 million, left back Hassane Kamara from Reims for £3.6 million, and Morgan Schneiderlin for £2 million from Everton. Is it too much change though? The club lost only 3 times in their 15 home league games last season and have lost just 4 home league games since November 2018.

Lens are preparing for their first campaign back in Ligue 1 since their relegation back in 2014/15. Head coach Franck Haise has been brought in to replace the outgoing Philippe Montanier who took over at Belgian First Division A club Standard Liege. Heavy investment has gone into the playing squad in preparation for this campaign with central midfielder Seko Fofana arriving from Udinese for £9 million, talented young striker Ignatius Ganago from Nice for £5.4 million, and left back Facundo Medina joining from Club Atletico Tallares for £3.15 million being the main arrivals. The club only managed 6 wins in their 14 away league games in Ligue 2 last season so the question has to be asked how they'll cope at this level on the road.

I'm having to back a convincing Nice win here. Everything is siding with them from the consistency from last season to the squad additions to home advantage and to the quality of their squad overall. Lens have gone through a lot of changes since the league season was cancelled and their away form was questionable even at the level below. This should be a business-like start for Nice.

Nice to Win @ 2.12 with VBet

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.74 with Novibet