Ligue 1 Tips: Make 'Both teams to Score' your main weekend selection

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·17 de enero de 2025

Ligue 1 Tips: Make 'Both teams to Score' your main weekend selection

French Ligue 1

New St Etienne manager Eirik Horneland has transformed his side's style of play

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After seven winners from his last eight Ligue 1 picks, James Eastham reveals the smartest plays on this weekend's action in the French top flight...

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Lille vs Nice - Fri, 20:05

One of Ligue 1's in-form sides, Nice stand a much better chance of avoiding defeat at Lille this weekend than the market suggests.

The French Riviera outfit have played well in each of their last two Ligue 1 games: they were deserving 3-2 winners at home to Rennes a fortnight ago, and even more impressive in beating Reims 4-2 (away) last weekend. We backed Nice on their trip to Reims, and were not surprised to see them earning us a profit.

Nice are fourth in the Ligue 1 table despite a rash of injuries and suspensions during the first-half of the season. Manager Franck Haise has done a tremendous job of keeping his team on course. Nice will be serious contenders for a top-three spot if fewer players spend time in the treatment room between now and the end of the campaign.

Lille are one point and one place behind Nice in the Ligue 1 standings, so it is surprising to see that the market gives them a 50 per cent chance of winning this weekend. Lille may be distracted, too, as they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Champions League next Tuesday. Whoever takes to the field for Lille in this match may already be thinking of Merseyside.

There are three ways to support the visitors: back Nice on the Draw No Bet market at 2.88, back Nice And Draw on the Double Chance market at 1.83, or simply lay Lille on the Betfair Exchange. All three are worth considering.

St Etienne vs Nantes - Sun, 14:00

The clear improvements that these two sides have made to their attacking play in recent weeks means we are confident that they will both get on the scoresheet this weekend.

St Etienne have been transformed by the appointment of ex-Brann boss Erik Horneland as their new manager last month. In two Ligue 1 matches since Horneland took over, St Etienne have employed a far more offensive style of play: they are committing more men forward than they ever did under ex-boss Olivier Dall'Oglio, and taking greater risks to get into scoring positions.

The results of the change of approach are obvious: in Horneland's first game in charge a fortnight ago, St Etienne ran out 3-1 winners over Reims, creating chances while also leaving gaps at the back. The same bold style was on show when they lost 2-1 at Ligue 1 leaders PSG last weekend.

Nantes have also played with greater attacking quality over the past month, while also leaving spaces at the back. They have scored and conceded in each of their last three Ligue 1 fixtures - vs Brest (4-1 defeat, away), Lille (1-1 draw, away) and Monaco (2-2 draw, home) - before losing 2-1 at Brest in the French Cup in midweek, in what was yet another open encounter.

Nantes' entertaining draw against Monaco last weekend summed up their current strengths and weaknesses: winger Moses Simon and in-form striker Matthis Abline were dangerous in the opposition final third, but individually and collectively, Nantes were second-best in their own final third.