Lorient v Lens

Lorient are seeking a way to break a 16-match winless run when they host Lens on Sunday.

The Breton side have suffered 11 defeats in their last 14 matches in all competitions, though they did spring a major surprise shortly before Christmas when they outplayed runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 at home.

Recent results, though, have more typically been chastening. They have suffered heavy losses away to Nantes, Lille and Metz. Last time out, they were held 0-0 by Angers, despite playing the vast majority of the game against 10 men.

Only three defeats have come at home, though, which makes it difficult to back against them even amidst this dreadful run. Their three wins, meanwhile, have come against Nice, Monaco and Lille, showing that they cannot be discounted against any opponent. 

Lens are not a side faring well presently either. Having climbed as high as fifth in November, they have won only two of their last nine in Ligue 1 and were knocked out of the Coupe de France last weekend by Monaco. Meanwhile, their away games have typically provided thrilling entertainment. From 11 away fixtures, 37 goals have been scored this season, while this is a matchup that has a habit of providing goals.

In three meetings between these clubs in the last 18 months, there have been 14 goals scored. When they met earlier this season, the match ended 2-2.

Although Lorient are typically a low-scoring team at home, the visit of Lens promises a good deal more entertainment than the Stade du Moustoir crowd are typically accustomed to.

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Nice v Clermont

Nice are Ligue 1’s form team, having won each of their last five fixtures in France’s top flight. What’s more, they will be on a high after overcoming Paris Saint-Germain on a penalty shootout away from home on Monday in the Coupe de France.

Christophe Galtier has a well-functioning side, who have themselves in a position whereby they should really qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Their strength has primarily been playing away from home. Indeed, they have the best away record in the league, including a victory in Clermont on November 21. In recent weeks, they have translated that to good home form, with 2-1 wins over Lens and Nantes. Indeed, they have scored at least twice in their last five Ligue 1 games.

Although Nice have struggled to breakdown defensive opponents at times this season, Clermont are unlikely to take that approach at the Allianz Riviera. The visitors have a strong philosophy of wanting to play possession-based football, and that should suit a Nice side close to full strength.

Clermont, meanwhile, have a poor away record. They have lost seven of 11 in Ligue 1 on their travels and have little form in terms of being able to keep matches tight. Indeed, they have conceded 25 times in their road trips this season.

After being thumped 4-0 on the Cote d’Azur by Monaco three weeks ago and also beaten 2-0 by Ligue 2 side Bastia in the cup in early January, this promises to be another fruitless trip to the Mediterranean for Pascal Gastien’s attractive side.

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Reims v Bordeaux

Bordeaux enhanced their reputation as the most exciting team in Ligue 1 to watch as they picked up a shock 4-3 victory over Strasbourg at home a fortnight ago. While Vladimir Petkovic’s side toil towards the foot of the table, there is no question about the potency of their attacking options. With 34 goals scored already this season, they are ranked eighth in Ligue 1 in this regard.

Defensively, though, Bordeaux are a shambles and have conceded a league-high 53. In total, their matches have produced 77 goals, exactly 3.5 per game – more than any other club in the league.

While they resolved to strengthen their defensive options at the end of January, it is hard to imagine the incoming players will have an instant impact. Meanwhile, with Alberth Elis and Hwang Ui-jo in fine form at the other end of the field, they are liable to score themselves.

Reims may be a more conservative side, but they were drawn into a slugfest when these sides were last pitched against each other on October 31. The result was a thrilling 3-2 victory for Bordeaux, who came from two behind to get the win.

The home side may come into this match with the intention to keep things tight, but like many other sides before them, they are liable to get sucked into the crazy tombola that is Bordeaux’s form.

Ten of Bordeaux’s last 11 Ligue 1 games have produced at least three goals, and excitement should be expected whenever they take to the field.

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Strasbourg v Nantes

Strasbourg will aim to get their European quest back on track on Sunday, when they play a dangerous Nantes outfit.

Julien Stephan’s side were rocked a fortnight ago when they surprisingly lost 4-3 against Bordeaux, the victims of a highly polished attacking display from an unpredictable opponent.

However, they have been strong at home this season, with six wins from 11 matches. What has been most notable about their games in front of their support, though, has been the volume of goals: 39 have been netted in total – around 3.5 per game.

Indeed, in Strasbourg’s last nine home matches, seven have produced at least three goals.

Sunday’s promises to be no different, although they will certainly be handicapped by the likely absence of Kevin Gameiro, who netted twice in Bordeaux. At the other end of the field, too, there are headaches, with Maxime Le Marchand ruled out and big doubts over starting centre-back Gerzino Nyamsi and Alexander Djiku. Racing could, therefore, be vulnerable.

Nantes are a side who have it in them to take advantage. They have won five of their last seven in all competitions and have scored six goals in their last two matches. Indeed, with Moses Simon back from international duty, they should have all of their frontline artillery available for this encounter.

These sides have produced attractive matches in the recent past, too. Back in November, they split the points in a 2-2 draw, while last season’s two games produced a total of seven goals.

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Troyes v Metz

Metz will make the short trip west to play Troyes in a match that promises to have profound implications on the relegation battle. Indeed, the visitors have the incentive that a victory will lift them out of the bottom three.

And the guests make this trip in relatively high spirits. They were comfortably beaten by Nice a fortnight ago, but their undoubted strength this season has been playing on the road: 12 of their 19 points have come away from home, including three of their four victories.

Metz actually find themselves in pretty decent away form, too. They pinched a shock win over Reims in their last away trip, drew at Lyon and Marseille before Christmas and even went to second-placed Nice and took three points. One defeat in five for a team in their position is not bad going at all.

Moreover, Frederic Antonetti’s side find themselves in an improving position with regards squad selection, with players coming back from international duty.

Troyes, meanwhile, have struggled to get going at home this season, posting only two victories from 11 games. Although they are under new leadership in the form of Bruno Irles, there has been no instant uplift in results, with his sole home match to date a 1-0 loss against Lyon.

With six defeats against opponents in the bottom half of the table – more than any other club in Ligue 1 – Troyes are clearly a side vulnerable against weaker opponents, which spells danger for them on Sunday against a Metz side that travels relatively well.

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Rennes v Brest

Rennes welcome Brest as they go through their toughest period of the season. Since the beginning of December, they have lost five of their seven Ligue 1 matches. During this period, they have briefly flickered into life to beat Saint-Etienne 5-0 and Bordeaux 6-0, showing that when they hit their stride, they remain a top team.

Last time out, though, they were surprisingly beaten away to a depleted Clermont outfit, which only served to highlight their recent inconsistency.

Meanwhile, Brest have not won in Rennes since 1987 while that have failed to win any of their last 10 against their local rivals. Despite this record, though, they have been surprisingly difficult to beat in Rennes: five of their last six visits to the Breton capital have ended in draws. On top of this, the teams played out a 1-1 draw when they met earlier this season, during which both goals arrived in the last 10 minutes.

Head coach Michel Der Zakarian has promised to switch to a 3-5-2 formation, suggesting that they will seek to focus on being difficult to break down. Brest have failed to score in three of their last five Ligue 1 matches, plus in the Coupe de France against Nantes last weekend. Allied to that, they have lost creative player Romain Faivre, who has seven goals and five assists in the league this season, to Lyon before the transfer deadline.

With the visitors going defensive and the hosts lacking confidence, a low-scoring match is the logical outcome.

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Lille v PSG

Sunday’s showcase Ligue 1 match pits last season’s champions Lille against a Paris Saint-Germain side that looks destined to lift the crown this term.

Lille’s long undefeated run in 90 minutes ended in surprising fashion last weekend as they were defeated by an out-of-form Brest outfit. It means that Jocelyn Gourvennec’s side have won only one of their last four matches in all competitions, which came against struggling Lorient at home.

Moreover, Jonathan David, who scored in Paris in a 2-1 defeat in October and is Lille’s top scorer this season, is not certain to start after heavy use with Canada on international duty over the last week.

At the weekend, they will undoubtedly face their sternest examination in weeks as PSG come calling. The Parisians have been a difficult side to read this season, with performances of inconsistent quality. Individual excellence has often carried them to victory but in recent weeks they have played better as a collective in home wins against Brest and Reims.

On Monday, however, they were knocked out of the Coupe de France at home against a defensive Nice side. They should have learned the lessons from that match to carry into a fixture against Lille, who will likely play in a similar manner.

Crucially, Kylian Mbappe, undoubtedly their star man with 19 goals and 15 assists this season, will come back into the starting XI.

Having drawn their last three away from home in Ligue 1 1-1, expect PSG to provide an answer to their critics as they begin a pivotal month in their campaign. It will be regarded as a very worrying sign if they cannot.

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