On Sunday, Ligue 1 will see a match between two mid-table teams, as 11th-placed Strasbourg hosts 10th-placed Nantes at Stade de la Meinau. Both teams enter the match with identical two-win, four-draw, two-loss records, although in different recent form. Strasbourg has the task of bouncing back from its defeat to PSG 4-2 with Manager Liam Rosenior at the helm, while Nantes, with frustrated draws, seeks to get its first win in six games with manager Antoine Kombouare. This is going to be a very significant game as only one point separates the two teams; both teams try to go up the Ligue 1 ladder and push into European contention.
Claim Welcome BonusStrasbourg
Strasbourg have proven that they can attack with regular goal-scoring, evident by an over 2.5 goals streak in five of their last seven matches. Still, their fragile defense came to the fore last week against PSG when they let in four goals despite a good attacking display.
The shape Rosenior has employed for Strasbourg has been one of structure and offensive flexibility: two holding midfielders to stabilize the defense, freedom for an attacking midfield trio. This setup has seen attacking results but also leaves them open to counterattacks, as evidenced by their 4-2 defeat to PSG. Tendencies of Strasbourg to push their full-backs high up the field could leave gaps exposed, particularly against Nantes' front three. They will need to balance pressing high with cover in defence. Solid transitions in possession, Rosenior will most probably look to exploit Nantes's vulnerability, more so if they are very slow in closing up spaces.
Nantes
Meanwhile, Nantes also has not managed to keep a reliable backline in recent stages of the campaign, having conceded six times in their last five games. Even with that, though, Nantes has continued scoring first in recent matches, and will most likely search for an early lead here. Key to this match will be how Strasbourg's 4-2-3-1 setup will fare against the flexibility of Nantes' 4-3-3, since both managers will most likely insist on calls for tightening defensive lines while capitalizing on each other's lapses.
Kombouare's Nantes is set up for balance in the middle of the park for a scrap in the air and on the wings. This season, Nantes has been excellent in scoring the first goal of the match to show their intention of aggressively starting the match. Their defensive discipline has been a bit suspect, having conceded a total of 12 times in their last few trips to Strasbourg-something that could be a critical area of focus in this match. Kombouare might want to be a little bit more conservative, using wings to stretch the Strasbourg defence while retaining some midfield solidity to counter the opponent's high press.
Head to Head
Historically, Nantes has a slight lead in head-to-head games, winning ten of the last against eight by Strasbourg, but they won the last game against each other 3-1 in March. Also, in most recent matches between these teams, both teams have been able to score, as "GG" happened in five of the last seven games. Also, these games have often seen few cards, staying under 4.5 cards in five of the last seven clashes, showing a generally controlled intensity in their rivalry. With that, the fixture promises another competitive matchup with both sides aware of each other's weaknesses and strengths.
Expert Betting Tips
The attacking strength of Strasbourg has been complemented by a consistent trend of scoring first in recent matches-four in the last five-something that underlines their ability to take immediate initiative. However, their defense has been porous, and conceding four goals to PSG exposed vulnerabilities which Kombouare's Nantes will be eager to exploit. Nantes have struggled for wins, although they have managed to keep games close with draws often and have managed to open the scoring in six of their last seven matches. This happened when Nantes were doing so well at the start of matches, while their sloppiness at the back could see them struggle against the second-half pressure that Strasbourg will be looking to apply.
Both teams often tend to tip the scale on high-corner matches, with Nantes passing the 10.5 corners threshold in six of the last eight matches, an element which has also seen a good response in recent matches in which Strasbourg has been involved. Such a factor could well give the key to set-piece chances, particularly for Strasbourg, whose midfield supports forward progression but can sometimes leave gaping holes for Nantes to counter on.
- Home Win/Draw & Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.6 Odds
- Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.88 Odds
- Strasbourg Wins 2-1 @ 8.50.Odds
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