Nice v Lorient

Nice can still make a run for the Champions League next season, and if they are to do that, they will surely have to win Sunday’s fixture against Lorient. They received good news on Friday, though, with Monaco’s win in Rennes tightening the pack right up.

Christophe Galtier’s side have lost their way a little in recent weeks and have gone four winless after beating PSG. The majority of their issues have been on the road, though. Last weekend, they lost 3-0 to Lens and produced a worrying level of performance, with Galtier lamenting the lack of defensive work done by his attack-minded team. Look for them to be more pragmatic in this game.

Although Nice’s form of paper is not great, they have been going well at home. Indeed, they have won four of their last five at the Allianz Riviera and drew the other against third-placed Rennes.

Lorient, meanwhile, are a team that is noted for their poor away record. Indeed, they lost 5-1 against PSG on their last road trip.

Crucially, they are likely to save their resources for a vital midweek home match against Metz. Any players carrying injuries are likely to be preserved for that fixture against the bottom club, including January signing Ibrahima Kone, who is already up to five Ligue 1 goals for the season.

Each of the last five times these sides have met in Nice, the game has produced at least three goals, and with the defensive injuries that both teams post coming into this match, there is definitely a chance of that trend continuing. Galtier’s warning of pragmatism, though, should be heeded and a narrow home win looks likely.

Metz v Clermont

Sunday’s big relegation match-up sees Metz host Clermont, with the home team aware that they are entering a potentially pivotal week in their season, in which they have three winnable matches. Given they are at the foot of the table, this is precious.

Metz were involved in a series of ultra-tight games in February and March. Indeed, four of six fixtures ended without a goal and another in that run produced a single strike. Since then, though, they have seen 14 goals scored in five games – 11 of those against them.

Even if the home side adopts a defensive stance for this game, it is likely to be met by an attacking approach from a Clermont side who simply do not take a step back. They might have lost 6-1 at home to Paris Saint-Germain last weekend, but they showed an intent to attack even against a world-class outfit and were picked off on the break. Going to Metz will not scare them.

Both clubs have their defensive issues going into this game, but particularly Clermont, who will be without keystone centre-back Cedric Hountondji and first-choice left-back Vital N’Simba. This helps explain why they have conceded 18 goals in their last five matches.

Given the leaky nature of the two defences and the fact that Clermont are a team that habitually attacks, backing over 2.5 goals represents a good value bet. These sides, after all, shared a 2-2 draw back in August.

Nantes v Angers

Nantes continue to hunt European football, although they had something of a setback as they were held 1-1 against Brest away from home last weekend. Against Angers, who will make a short trip to Stade de la Beaujoire, they should be confident of picking up another win to keep them firmly in contention.

They have won five of their last seven Ligue 1 matches at home, dating back to December, and while they lost last time out against Lille, they were the better side in that encounter. Beyond that, there are other factors in their favour, such as the return of defender Nicolas Pallois after injury and the fact that their injury issues are limited.

Furthermore, the last time Nantes faced Angers, they exited a three-game losing sequence with a 4-1 victory in September.

Angers, meanwhile, are a side that is ailing on the road presently. In all competitions, they have lost six of their last seven on their travels, with the exception being a scoreless draw in Lorient in January. Their fixture list over this run has been tough, but Nantes have shown that they are no easy side to overcome when playing at home.

Meanwhile, they are still without wing-back Jimmy Cabot and lost a couple of players due to injury in last weekend’s 1-1 home draw with Lille. 

Odds of Evens on a home victory look to be generous given all this information, while backing the home side on a Draw No Bet basis offers very little risk at 1.36.

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Lyon v Bordeaux

Lyon go into Sunday’s home match against Bordeaux in a tough spot. They were eased out of the Europa League on Thursday by West Ham, losing 3-0. With just the league to focus on, they will have to finish strongly to return to Europe next term. There have been no signs of that in recent weeks.

Peter Bosz’s men have won only one of their last seven fixtures in all competitions, while the games they have been winning have typically been in an unconvincing manner. Take, for example, their laboured 3-2 win over Angers a fortnight ago. Indeed, only two of their last 21 games in Ligue 1 have seen them emerge with a victory by a margin of more than a single goal.

Bordeaux, meanwhile, must be buoyed by their performance against Metz last weekend. In a high-stakes encounter, they played with dynamism and confidence, emerging to win 3-1 in clutch circumstances. Head coach David Guion will hope that it was a cathartic experience for his side, who picked up their first win under his guidance last weekend after drawing three of their previous six.

One result, of course, does not wipe away Bordeaux’s issues, but they have typically made it hard for Lyon when the sides have met in the recent past, with six of the last 10 ending drawn. Indeed, they have not lost to OL by more than a single goal since February 2016 – a run of 11 matches.

Although the home side may get the win, they are unlikely to make it look easy. 

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