Dermo has three Sunday selections for Ligue 1 matchday 11 including a big price fancy for the clash between Angers and Rennes
Game week 12 starts under a managerial cloud after five managers were ousted in the past fortnight. Laurent Blanc has replaced the hapless Peter Bosz at Lyon but even he is under scrutiny after a bizarre team introduction. Brest, Reims, Montpellier and Auxerre will all take to the field with a caretaker manager in charge. On the field, PSG travel to Corsica to take on Ajaccio on Friday night. Elsewhere, Montpellier Vs Lyon on Saturday should be an entertaining encounter. To close out the week, Lille Vs Monaco meet on Sunday evening in what is the likely the biggest game of the weekend.
Angers Vs Rennes
Sun 23rd 12:00 GMT
Angers have shipped 9 goals in their last three Ligue 1 games and will likely not get any respite from a Rennes attack that’s finally starting to click. They will be encouraged by the fact that they have scored 4 in their past two games but most teams will back themselves to outscore Le SCO.
Rennes are on run of 5 wins in a row and are 11 games unbeaten in all competitions. Bruno Génésio has now found a way to get the best from Martin Terrier who has scored 8 times in the 11 game run. Plenty feel he should be the 3rd striker in Didier Deschamps Les Blues squad for the upcoming World Cup. The defence has been better recently but Les Rennais have only managed 3 clean sheets in 15 games in all competitions this season. An away win with both teams to score looks the play in this game.
Clermont Vs Brest
Sun 23rd 14:00 GMT
Lorient and Régis Le Bris might be getting all the early season plaudits, in any other season it would Pascal Gastien in the spotlight. Sporting director Ingo Winter and the scouting department have also had big hand to play in Clermont’s success in the opening 11 games having spotted the talent which other teams had dismissed as not good enough. Les Lanciers have accrued 17 points from the opening 33 on offer which amounts to just over half available. This is from a team with only Auxerre and AC Ajaccio below them in the relegation betting before the season started. Other than a poor loss to Troyes, the home side have excelled in beating clubs on a similar or worse level than them.
On all known metrics, Brest are indeed a worse side than Clermont. It was about this time last season that Brest went on a 6 game winning streak but it’s hard to see a repeat. B team manager Bruno Grougi has been appointed caretaker manager after the sacking of Michel Der Zakarian. He will be accompanied by the goalkeeping coach and a physio as the sides management team. Given that it’s mostly poor organisation on the pitch that has been Les Pirates weakness all season, a similarly dishevelled bench is unlikely to change things this week (especially as Grougi will be suspended for the week 13 game at Nantes should a new manager not be appointed). Clermont to continue their good form with a home win.
Toulouse Vs Strasbourg
Sun 23rd 14:00 GMT
As mentioned last week, Toulouse are showing less respect to the sides deemed better than them and playing with a lot of belief against those seen as worse. They should have gotten a point at Lille, did get one at Lyon and beat Reims, Montpellier and Angers in their past 5 games. The wonderfully named midfielder Branco van den Boomen is an example of the confidence within Les Violets squad, claiming to be currently one of the best passers in the game. Whilst some saw it as arrogance, the numbers are there to back it up with the Dutchman leading the ‘key passes’ charts for Europe’s top 5 leagues.
After tipping Strasbourg to turn a corner last week, what they produced at home to Lille would have me very worried about the rest of the season for Le Racing supporters. Lille are a decent, well organised side with some above average players like Jonathan David. They aren’t the level that made the game look like a training session though. Strasbourg’s run last season was built on unity, teamwork and hard yards, all of which were completely absent last weekend. Having just gotten most of their injured players back, they looked completely lifeless and disinterested. It’s the latter trait that could see another managerial casuality in the coming weeks if Julien Stephán can’t turn things around. This doesn’t look like that game and a Toulouse to win looks a decent bet.
Smart Bets
Rennes to win & BTTS @ 5/2 (2pt win)
Toulouse to win @ 5/4 (1pt win)
Clermont to win @ 3/4 (1pt win)
Above in treble (best priced): 12/1 (1pt win)
