Genesis is an expert on all things French football and runs an excellent Twitter channel here. There is a whole lot more to Ligue 1 than simply PSG, Messi, Mbappe and Neymar. It is increasingly becoming a highly entertaining league with a wealth of young and exciting talent.
Each week, Genesis will be sharing his inside knowledge on the happenings within French Football and Ligue 1, so you can be well equipped to spot value betting opportunities each week.
Week 34 – Ligue 1 Betting Tips | French Football Betting
The games are coming thick and fast and today I’m taking a look at games where we should see multiple goals and/or goals from both teams. Last time out I predicted multiple goals but the wrong winner as Bordeaux beat St Etienne 3-2. I also failed to pick Strasbourg as the winner against St Etienne but was right that it was going to be tight. I did though (thank goodness) correctly predict that Monaco would sneak past Nice in a low scoring affair. And with another quick turnaround, it’s onto the next lot…
Check out our mid-season review of the 2022 Ligue 1 season here
Let’s take a look at this week’s focus games for game week 34.
LYON vs MONTPELLIER
Lyon, fresh off the back of an emphatic win against Bordeaux, managed to continue the theme of their season by losing to lowly Stade Brest on Wednesday. Classic Bosz. Classic Lyon. They are now slipping rapidly out of the race for European places. Seven points off Monaco and with a difficult run-in. They were bad against Brest, back to their old habits. Wasteful upfront and loose at the back. Ekambi’s late withdrawal did not help. He’s just about the only Lyon player who can finish chances with regularity at the moment. And despite this, I still expect Lyon to sneak a win against Montpellier. They can’t possibly continue to miss as many good chances as they have been. Squad rotation will likely play a part for Lyon. Montpellier too are on the slide. One win in their last eight. They are closer to the relegation battle than they are to the European places. Pre-season optimism dashed. Perhaps the sale of both Andy Delort and Gaetan Laborde are beginning to bite. The creative pressure is maybe too much even for the wizardry of Teji Savanier alone. But he and Florian Mollet, Elye Wahi and dare we say, Remy Cabella do pose a danger. And Lyon’s crazy high defensive line and general defensive confusion mean that I think Montpellier will score in this one. It could be a high scoring affair. I hope so. Something for both sets of fans to enjoy after seasons that have slipped away.
Paris SG vs LENS
This is one where the odds are a little too heavily in PSG’s favour. I do think they’ll win but they won’t have it all their own way. They have been putting up some pretty emphatic scores recently. And Kylian Mbappe is getting more and more destructive. However, as we all know by now, PSG give up plenty of chances to every team they play, no matter their quality. Lens are a good team. Inconsistent but good. And they have the ability to create high-value chances. This should be a good game. And one in which I think both teams have a good chance of scoring. PSG could win the title if they win and other results go their way. Lens have everything to play for with European qualification still very much a possibility. And Lens are definitely finding some form in what has been an inconsistent season. Three wins on the bounce against Lille, Nice and Montpellier. They’re three points off Monaco and the European places. And so, with both sides motivated, we’ll see goals.
NANTES vs BORDEAUX
Nantes were incredibly unlucky to draw against Angers last weekend missing a plethora of big chances (24 shots, 6 big chances). Anthony Mandrea was inspired in Angers’ goal. Nantes then lost out to Marseille midweek in a fun game for the neutral, 3-2. A not unexpected result bearing in mind OM’s form. Quentin Merlin and Randal Kolo Muani were rested for the OM game. Blas was also pulled off at halftime. They should all be ready for a full 90 at the weekend. And they will have no trouble scoring against Bordeaux (79 conceded now this season). But, Nantes have shown a propensity to leak a goal or two recently and Bordeaux are definitely capable of scoring against pretty much any team in the league. I do predict Nantes to win this at home, probably by more than a goal. But they will also likely concede chances and maybe even a goal or two themselves. Their European dreams are all but over and I imagine some of the players will already be dreaming of Sun, sea and sand. Bordeaux are fighting to stay up.
CLERMONT vs ANGERS