French Ligue 1 Opta Facts May 15th-18th

Arles-Avignon - Toulouse
* Toulouse are unbeaten this season in Ligue 1 against promoted opposition, winning three and drawing one.
* Toulouse have drawn each of their last three away games in the league.
* Toulouse have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three league games.
* Arles-Avignon have lost each of their last three home games, failing to score a single goal in the process.
* Arles-Avignon have kept just two clean sheets at home this term in the league.
* Toulouse's Ali Ahamada has conceded a goal every 227 minutes this season, the best ratio amongst all Ligue 1 goalkeepers.

Caen - Montpellier
* Caen are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Montpellier in all competitions, winning twice and drawing on four occasions.
* Caen have failed to score in their last three Ligue 1 encounters against Montpellier.
* Nine of the 24 top-flight encounters between these teams have ended 0-0.
* Montpellier have lost their last two away games in Ligue 1.
* Three of the last four Ligue 1 games involving Caen have ended 1-1.
* Caen have conceded the most penalties this season in Ligue 1 (eight).
* 16 year-old Caen forward Mbaye Niang has already scored twice after only four Ligue 1 appearances.

Monaco - Lens
* Lens have failed to score a single goal in any of their last six trips to Monaco in Ligue 1.
* Lens have not won at Monaco in Ligue since March 1998, since then they have accumulated four draws and seven defeats.
* Lens have lost on 43 occasions against Monaco in Ligue 1, more than versus any other side.
* Monaco have lost just one of their seven home league games since the appointment of manager Laurent Banide.
* Lens have won just one of their last 16 away games in the top flight.
* Lens winger Sebastien Roudet has found the net in each of his last two league appearances against Monaco.
* Monaco have failed to win any of their previous two home games this season against sides currently occupying the relegation zone.
* Lens committed only three fouls in the first leg of this encounter, a Ligue 1 record this season.

Nancy - Nice
* Nice have lost nine of their last 11 trips to Nancy in the top flight.
* Nancy are unbeaten in their last three league encounters with Nice, winning two and drawing one.
* Nancy have failed to score in any of their last three home league matches.
* Since last season, Nancy have lost more home games than any other Ligue 1 side (17).
* Nice have won only one of their last 16 away games in Ligue 1.
* Nice have conceded 15 goals in the last seven match days, more than any other side during this period.
* Nancy have failed to win any of their last seven league fixtures, their longest winless run since 2008-09.

St Etienne - Rennes
* Rennes are unbeaten in their last five league encounters against St Etienne, winning three and drawing two, keeping a clean sheet in the process.
* Rennes are unbeaten in their last five league encounters against St Etienne, winning three and drawing two, keeping a clean sheet in the process.
* The last two league meetings between both sides have ended 0-0.
* St Etienne have lost four games after having opened the scoring, a Ligue 1 record this term.
* St Etienne have scored in 16 of their 17 home league games this season.
* Rennes have suffered three consecutive away defeats (without scoring a single goal) in Ligue 1 for the first time since 2006-07.
* Rennes have scored only four goals in their last 10 league games.
* St Etienne have won just one of their four league matches without Blaise Matuidi this term, that win coming against minnows Arles-Avignon.

Valenciennes - Auxerre
* Auxerre are unbeaten in their last three league encounters against Valenciennes, winning one and drawing two.
* Auxerre have failed to score in any of their last three trips to Valenciennes in Ligue 1.
* The last three Auxerre goals against Valenciennes in Ligue 1 have been scored by Ireneusz Jelen.
* Only Lille and Lyon have suffered fewer home defeats (one) than Valenciennes (two) this season in Ligue 1.
* Valenciennes are unbeaten in their last nine home league games.
* Auxerre striker Dennis Oliech has picked-up the joint-most yellow cards this season.
* Auxerre have won only one of their last 12 away league games.

Lorient - Marseille
* Marseille have won their last three league trips to Lorient, each time; they conceded the opening goal before finally winning 2-1.
* Lorient and Marseille have both always scored in their six top-flight encounters at the Moustoir stadium.
* Loïc Rémy has scored five goals in just six league games against Lorient.
* Marseille are the side who have scored the most goals against Lorient at their Moustoir stadium: 12.
* Lorient have drawn their last five home league games.
* Lorient have the meanest defensive record at home in Ligue 1 this season, having conceded only nine goals in 17 games.
* No side from the top five in Ligue 1 has managed to win at Lorient this season.

Brest - Lyon
* Lyon have lost four of their five trips to Brest in the top-flight.
* None of the 11 encounters between Brest and Lyon in Ligue 1 have ended in a draw.
* Lyon have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six encounters with Brest in Ligue 1.
* Brest have failed to score in any of their last three league fixtures.
* Last Wednesday, Lyon suffered their biggest league defeat since May 2006, losing 4-0 at Auxerre.
* Lyon have picked-up the joint-most red cards this season in Ligue 1 (eight).
* Lyon's 1.11 goals conceded per league game this term in their highest since 1999-00.

Bordeaux - Paris SG
* PSG have lost their last three trips to Bordeaux in the top-flight.
* PSG have failed to score a single goal in their last four trips to Bordeaux in Ligue 1.
* PSG have scored at least two goals in 20 games, a record in Ligue 1 this season.
* Bordeaux lost four-nil in their last home game (v Sochaux), their heaviest defeat on their own soil in the top-flight for 34 years.
* Bordeaux have failed to score in their last three league games, their longest goal-drought since 2005-06.
* PSG are unbeaten in their last seven league games, with their last two away games ending in a draw.
* Guillaume Hoarau has scored three goals in four league games against Bordeaux.
* Mevlut Erding has scored in his last two league games, the first time it's happened to him this season.

Lille - Sochaux
* Sochaux have failed to win any of their last eight trips to Lille in the top-flight, suffering six defeats.
* Since Rudi Garcia became Lille manager in 2008, his side have won more home league games than any other team (37).
* Lille have won their last three league games.
* Lille have only failed to score once in their last 31 home league games.
* Only Marseille have managed to beat Lille at their stadium this season in Ligue 1.
* Sochaux have lost only one of their last six away league games.
* Lille have never conceded more than one goal in their last 19 league games.

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Pobednički ritam Stabeka BOJAN ZAJIĆ (VALERENGA, NORVEŠKA)

Stabek je bez dileme bolji od Sogndala, u formi je, došao je do svoje, prepoznatljive igre, pa bi ovog vikenda trebalo lako da stigne do bodova.
STABEK – SOGNDAL     1

Velika razlika u kvalitetu postoji i između Tromsoa i Sarpsborga, zbog čega izdvajam jedinicu na domaće.
TROMSO – SARPSBORG     1

Rozenborg se “probudio” i veliki je favorit protiv Haugesunda, a prvi trijumf na domaćem terenu očekujem od Vikinga.
Rozenborg – Haugesund     1
Viking – Od Grenland     1

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Barsa nikom ne prašta RANKO DESPOTOVIĆ (ĐIRONA, ŠPANIJA 2)

Kao fiks izdvojio bih Numansiju koja dočekuje “fenjeraša” Ponferadinu , mada mislim da će i Barsa da savlada Las Palmas. “B” ekipa Katalonaca ne može u “Primeru”, ali uveren sam da nema govora o prepuštanju bodova gostima
NUMANSIJA – PONFERADINA     1
BARSELONA (B) – LAS PALMAS     1

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13.05. (Fri) 03:45 Jaguares de Chiapas - Cerro Porteno

DID YOU KNOW?

* 2011 is Jaguares' second-ever appearance in the Copa Libertadores

* The Chiapas team are just nine years old, having been founded in 2002.

* The all-time top scorer at the club is one Salvador Cabanas, the Paraguayan slowly recovering after last year's tragic shooting.

* This year's top scorer is Colombian Jackson Martinez, with three goals.

* The club's 2011 league form has been disastrous, finishing 18th in Mexico's regular season and narrowly escaping relegation.

* Cerro Porteno also have underachieved in the league, currently lying seventh in the Clausura, 19 points behind Nacional with six games to play.

* The team also hold the dubious distinction of having played the most Copa campaigns without winning the trophy, having appeared in 32 tournaments.

* In Paraguay, however, they have an excellent record, winning 28 local tournaments to rank second behind rivals Olimpia.

* Libertadores top scorer Roberto Nanni belongs to the Ciclon, and has netted seven times in the tournament so far.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Jaguares (4-4-2):
Villasenor; Martínez, Fuentes, Flores, Cabrera; Hernandez, Valdes, Rodriguez, Andrade; Frias, Salazar

Cerro Porteno (4-4-2):
Barreto; Piris, Benítez, Cardozo, C. Benítez; Nunez, Villarreal, Caceres, Torres; Fabbro, Nanni

Prediction

Jaguares de Chiapas 3-1 Cerro Porteno

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13.05. (Fri) 01:15 Velez Sarsfield - Libertad

DID YOU KNOW?

* Tonight's match will take place in the Bombonera, after Velez Sarsfield's stadium was closed down following the excessive use of pyrotechnics against Banfield

* The Fortin are riding high in Argentina, four points clear at the top of the Clausura with six games to play.

* Their Libertadores record though has not been so impressive, as they finished second in Group 4 behind Catolica.

* Injured striker Santiago Silva is their top scorer, with three strikes.

* Velez can boast one previous Libertadores triumph, in 1994.

* Libertad are one of two Paraguayan challengers remaining, the Guarani nation the only one to have multiple teams left.

* The Repolleros are the current Paraguay champions, but in the current league are 14 points behind leaders Nacional.

* They have never won the Copa though, their best runs coming with semi-final appearances in 2006 and 2007.

* The team were the second best qualifiers after Cruzeiro, taking 14 points from Group 1. Argentine striker Nicolas Pavlovich is their top scorer with four.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Velez Sarsfield (4-5-1):
Marcelo Barovero; Fabián Cubero, Sebastián Domínguez, Fernando Ortiz, Emiliano Papa; Augusto Fernández, Franco Razzotti, Víctor Zapata, Ricardo Alvarez, Maxi Moralez; Juan Manuel Martínez

Santiago Silva's continued absence means that Velez will line up with Martinez as a solitary striker, in an otherwise full-strength Fortin line-up.

Libertad (4-4-2):
Tobías Vargas; Carlos Bonet, Pedro Portocarrero, Ignacio Canuto, Miguel Samudio; Sergio Aquino, Víctor Cáceres, Víctor Ayala, Rodolfo Gamarra; Manuel Maciel, Nicolás Pavlovich.

Ganso suffered a thigh injury at the weekend and is the big absence for Santos; Rodrigo Possebon enters for the 21-year-old as the Peixe are otherwise at full-strength.

Prediction

Velez Sarsfield 2-0 Libertad

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