Predictions for Matchday 4 of Ligue 1, August 12-14
Marseille vs Lorient
After suffering defeats in the previous round, Marseille and Lorient will face off this Friday at the "Orange Vélodrome" as they both attempt to break their streak of poor results in Ligue 1. The "Southerners" are struggling with away matches – this season they have already lost two away games to Rennes and Lyon (both with a narrow score of 0:1). Fortunately, they will be playing at home this time, where Marseille is in great form: in the second round, they decisively defeated Paris (5:2). Lorient has played only one away match so far, in which they lost to the not-so-strong Auxerre (0:1). In the last round, Olivier Pantaloni's team was thrashed by Lille (1:7). The team approaches the upcoming match in a disorganized state. The head-to-head statistics are heavily against Lorient: in the last ten matches, Marseille has won 9 times and there was one draw. Considering all this, we suggest betting on the home team's victory with a handicap of (-1).
Match Prediction for Marseille vs Lorient: Marseille Handicap (-1)
Nice vs Nantes
Nice and Nantes, both with three points in their accounts, will play on Saturday in the 4th round of Ligue 1. Only in the first round of this season did Franck Haise's team fail to score, while in the next two matches, they managed at least one goal. Recall that in the second round, Nice defeated Auxerre at home (3:1), and then lost away to Le Havre (1:3). For Nantes, this season is a real challenge – the team is facing financial problems and is not composed of the strongest players. In every match, Nantes plays defensively and relies on luck. All their games have been dreadfully dull and low-scoring: two losses and one win – all with a score of 1:0. Considering that Nice traditionally plays quite well at home, and Nantes often loses away, we suggest betting on the victory of the "Eaglets".
Match Prediction for Nice vs Nantes: Home Team Victory
Auxerre vs Monaco
On Saturday, Monaco will visit modest Auxerre in the fourth round of the French Ligue 1. The visitors have no other objectives but to win, as any other result will be considered a failure. The reasons for this logic are evident: Auxerre lost in the last two rounds to not the strongest teams (Nice and Nantes), scoring only one goal in these encounters. Monaco's situation is the opposite: after an undeserved (in terms of gameplay) defeat to Lille (0:1), Adi Hütter's team defeated Strasbourg at home (3:2). This marks the second home victory for the "Monegasques" this season. It should be noted that since returning to the top division, Auxerre has played against Monaco 4 times and lost each match. Considering the head-to-head statistics and the recent results of the teams, we suggest betting on the visitors' victory.
Match Prediction for Auxerre vs Monaco: Away Team Victory
Lille vs Toulouse
In this On Sunday, Lille will host Toulouse at home as part of the fourth round of Ligue 1. The match promises to be eventful, as two of the most prolific teams of the current season face off. The "Dogs" have only dropped two points in the championship, drawing with Brest (3:3) and then defeating Monaco (1:0) and Lorient (7:1). Toulouse has six points, earned in the first two rounds against Nice (1:0) and Brest (2:0). In their last match, Carles Martinez's team had a real shootout with PSG, losing 3:6. It is worth noting that in each of the last four head-to-head encounters between Lille and Toulouse, both teams scored goals. In each of their matches this season, they have not left the field without scoring. Considering all this, a bet on both teams to score seems logical.
Match Prediction Lille vs Toulouse: Both Teams to Score
PSG vs Lens
The Ligue 1 table leader Paris Saint-Germain will host Lens in the fourth round of the championship. Luis Enrique's team has won all their matches this season and is unlikely to consider other outcomes in the upcoming game. If PSG started the season with narrow victories, they delighted their fans with a goal fest in the last round, defeating Toulouse 6:3. Lens has 6 points, earned in the last two championship matches: victories over Le Havre (2:1) and Brest (3:1). As we can see, both teams have shown decent scoring ability in recent rounds, although their defenses are far from perfect, with goals conceded on both sides. Considering these facts, we expect a high-scoring match.
Match Prediction PSG vs Lens: Total Goals Over 2.5
Strasbourg vs Le Havre
In the fourth round of Ligue 1, Strasbourg will play at home against Lens. Both teams are in the middle of the standings, but the home team has three more points. Strasbourg secured narrow victories in the first two rounds against Metz (1:0) and Nantes (1:0). In the last match against Monaco, Liam Rosenior's team managed to come back from (0:2) but conceded in the 90+6 minute and lost points (2:3). Le Havre has won only one match – against Nice in the last round with a score of 3:1. Before that, Didier Digard's team struggled with their game. Frankly speaking, even in the winning match, the team did not perform at their best, but luck was on their side. As we can see from the results, Strasbourg shows a commendable performance in each match and fights even when significantly behind. We believe that the home team will win the upcoming match.
Match Prediction Strasbourg vs Le Havre: Home Win
Brest vs Paris
Representatives of the "red zone" Brest and Paris will play this weekend as part of the fourth round of Ligue 1. Both teams are not doing well so far, so in their head-to-head confrontation. Each team hopes to take maximum points. Brest started with a decent match against Lille, where they drew (3:3). Scoring that many goals against "Les Dogues" is quite an achievement. However, Eric Roy's team then suffered defeats: against Nice (0:2) and Lens (1:3). Despite these setbacks, it's worth noting Brest's decent attacking play, with 4 goals scored in three matches this season. Paris also hasn't had a smooth start to the championship, with only one victory, achieved in the last round against Metz (3:2). It's worth mentioning that the capital club doesn't particularly like to sit back in defense – Stéphane Gilli's players always try to play in an attacking style, as evidenced by their 5 goals in three Ligue 1 rounds. It seems we're in for an exciting showdown between the lower-table teams with a high number of goals.
Match Prediction Brest vs Paris: Total Goals Over 2.5
Metz vs Angers
On Sunday, in the fourth round of Ligue 1, Angers will visit Metz. Despite the fact that the home team has lost all matches this season, they are the bookmakers' favorites. Let's recall that in the first two rounds, Stéphane Le Mignan's team didn't score at all: Strasbourg (0:1) and Lyon (0:3). Only in the last match against Paris did Metz score their first goals, but they lost 2:3. Angers is currently only picking up points in home games: a win over Paris (1:0) and a draw with Rennes (1:1). On the road, it's been dry in terms of goals – a defeat to PSG (0:1). Considering how few goals Metz has scored this season and Angers' not-so-confident away performance, we suggest betting on a low total.
Match Prediction Metz vs Angers: Total Goals Under 2.5
Rennes vs Lyon
Lyon, who hasn't conceded a single goal this season, is visiting the solid mid-table team Rennes. The match between them will take place as part of the fourth round of Ligue 1 on Sunday. For "Les Gones," this will be a tough test, as they have lost three of their last four matches at Rennes' ground. In the current championship, Lyon is showing excellent results – all three matches have been won, with five goals scored and none conceded. Rennes started the season with a home victory over Marseille (1:0). The next two games were away, yielding only one point: a defeat to Lorient (0:4) and a draw with Angers (1:1). As we can see, Rennes plays significantly better football in front of their home fans than away. Additionally, the head-to-head statistics against Lyon at their stadium favor them. Considering all this, we suggest betting on the hosts not to lose.
