Saturday, September 25, 2010

25.-26. 09. 2010. France - Ligue 1 preview

Auxerre - Nancy
Nancy are unbeaten in their last three trips to Auxerre in the top flight, winning one and drawing two.
Auxerre are without a win after the opening six match days for the third time in their history (1981/82, 1986/87 and 2010/11).
Auxerre have won just one of their nine competitive matches this term, beating Zenit St Petersburg 2-0 in the Champions League qualifiers.
Both sides have yet to keep a clean sheet this season in the league.
Auxerre have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven league matches, their worst run since September 2006.
Nancy have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 10 league fixtures, currently the longest run in Ligue 1.
All points racked up by Nancy (seven) have been bagged on the road, the only team to have done so this season.
Auxerre have drawn their last five home games in the top flight, their longest ever run of consecutive draws at The Abbe Deschamps stadium.


Caen - Bordeaux
Caen have lost their last three league encounters against Bordeaux.
Bordeaux have lost 70% of their trips to Caen in the top flight (seven out of 10).
Bordeaux's last league title, in 2009, was conquered after a 1-0 win at Caen.
Bordeaux have won just one of their last 11 away games in the top flight, losing eight times and drawing twice and failing to keep a clean sheet in the last nine.
Caen have conceded twice as many goals at home (four) than on the road (two) this season in the league.
Youssef El Arabi has scored four of the seven goals netted by Caen this season in Ligue 1.
Caen's largest ever win in the top flight was against Bordeaux, 5-0 in November 2007.


Lorient - Monaco
Monaco are unbeaten in their last five league matches against Lorient, winning three times and drawing twice.
However they have failed to win their last five trips to the Moustoir stadium (three draws and two defeats).
Monaco are unbeaten in their last seven Ligue 1 games, currently the longest run, however six of these matches have been draws.
The last four Monaco away games in Ligue 1 have all produced a draw.
Lorient have beaten Monaco just twice in their 12 top-flight encounters.
Monaco have received a league-high 17 yellow cards this term.
All three goals netted by Daniel Niculae this season have opened the scoring.
Monaco defender Adriano Pereira has already scored two own-goals this season, only one player suffered the same fate during the whole of last season: Bostjan Cesar with Grenoble.
Lorient have lost a league-high five points from winning situations.


Marseille - Sochaux
Sochaux have scored a league-high 12 goals this season, Marseille have scored 11.
Marseille have scored in each of their last 14 home games in the league, currently the longest run.
Sochaux are one of three Ligue 1 teams who have yet to pick up an away point this term.
Sochaux have conceded a league-high three goals in the opening 15 minutes of their games.
Andre-Pierre Gignac has scored six goals against Sochaux in Ligue 1, his favourite opponent alongside Nantes.
None of the last eight Ligue 1 encounters between these sides has ended in a draw, each side winning on four occasions.
Sochaux have lost seven of their last 10 trips to Marseille in Ligue 1.
This will be the Didier Deschamps' 200th Ligue 1 match as a manager.


Montpellier - Arles-Avignon
Montpellier have lost their last two league matches, their worst run in the top flight this calendar year.
Montpellier have netted just three goals this season, only Arles-Avignon have scored fewer (two).
Arles-Avignon have lost all of their six matches, if they lose again, they will set the record of worst ever start of a season by a team making their top-flight debut.
Arles-Avignon have failed to score in the last three match days, currently the longest run.
Montpellier won all of their four league games against promoted sides last term, without conceding a single goal.
Olivier Giroud scored five goals in two appearances against Arles-Avignon last season in the second division.


Nice - Rennes
Rennes are unbeaten in their last eight league meetings against Nice, winning three and drawing five.
Rennes have scored in their last 11 trips to Nice in the top flight.
Nice are unbeaten at home in Ligue 1 since Eric Roy is their manager: three wins and six draws.
Like last season, Rennes have picked up 12 points after six match days, their highest ever tally at this stage of the competition since the introduction of the three-points rule in 1994/95.
Rennes have conceded a league-low two goals this term.
Rennes are the only side in Ligue 1 who have yet to concede an away goal this season.
Victor Montaño is the second all-time Colombian top scorer in the French league, with 15 goals, only Victor Bonilla netted more (17 between 2000 and 2003).


Lyon - St Etienne
This is the 100th official derby between Olympique Lyonnais and St Etienne.
Lyon are unbeaten in their last 20 league derbies against St Etienne, winning 11 and drawing nine.
The last time St Etienne won the Rhône derby in Ligue 1 was in April 1994.
St Etienne have won three Ligue 1 matches in a row, their longest winning streak since April 2008.
Lyon have picked just five points after six match days, their worst start of a season since 1995/96.
Ligue 1 top scorer Dimitri Payet has scored six goals this term, his most prolific season ever.
Lyon are the only Ligue 1 side who have yet to score a second-half goal this season.
Lyon have netted exactly one goal in each of their last six league matches against St Etienne.
Yoann Gourcuff has failed to win in his last eight Ligue 1 starts.


Brest - Valenciennes
Brest have kept a clean sheet in their last three league matches, equalling their all-time record set in November 1989.
The four Ligue 1 matches between Brest and Valenciennes, all between 1979 and 1982, have produced 19 goals in total.
Valenciennes are one of three Ligue 1 sides who have yet to find the net in the first half of games this term.
Brest have drawn their two home games in the league this season.
Four of the seven competitive games involving Valenciennes this season have ended 1-1.
Valenciennes have drawn their last six away games in Ligue 1, equalling their all-time record, established in March 2009.


Toulouse - Lille
Lille are unbeaten in their last five league encounters against Toulouse, winning twice and drawing on three occasions.
Lille are one of three unbeaten teams so far this season in Ligue 1.
The last time Lille conceded more than one goal on a trip to Toulouse in Ligue 1 was in 1991.
Toulouse have picked up 13 points, their best start of a season since 2006/07, when they finished third.
57% of the goals netted by Lille this season have come after the 75th minute (four out of seven).
Lille are the only Ligue 1 team that managed to score four goals in an away match this season (beating Lens 4-1 at the Felix Bollaert stadium).
Pierre-Alain Frau has netted 75 goals in the top flight, amongst currently active Ligue 1 players, only two have scored more.
Rudi Garcia has never lost against Toulouse as a Ligue 1 manager, winning once and drawing on five occasions.


Lens - Paris SG
PSG are unbeaten in their last five league matches against Lens in Ligue 1 (two wins and three draws).
PSG have scored 112 goals against Lens in the top flight, more than versus any other side.
Four of the last five league meetings between these two clubs at the Felix Bollaert stadium have produced a draw.
All six goals netted by Razak Boukari during his Ligue 1 career have come before match day 14.
Peguy Luyindula is the only Ligue 1 player that has made a substitute appearance in all six match days this season.
Lens are one of two Ligue 1 teams who have managed to score in all six match days this term.
Antoine Kombouare has never beaten Lens during his career as a Ligue 1 manager, losing five times and drawing on four occasions.