Le Havre vs. Rennes (Sunday, 12.00pm)
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Le Havre welcome Rennes to Stade Oceane for a mid-table clash in Ligue 1 at Sunday lunchtime this weekend.
On their return to the top flight after over a decade away, Le Havre are slowly but surely putting relegation fears to bed, while Rennes are threatening a late push for Europe.
We say: Le Havre 1-2 Rennes
After only suffering their first defeat in six games on Wednesday, Le Havre should still be confident of giving an in-form Rennes side a difficult game this weekend.
However, seven wins on the spin means Rennes will come into the game as big favourites, and after hitting Sochaux for six in midweek, they are likely to keep that momentum going before facing Milan on Thursday.
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Toulouse vs. Nantes (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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Toulouse face Nantes in Ligue 1 on Sunday in what will be a repeat of last year's Coupe de France final.
A 5-1 thrashing from Toulouse saw them take the crown that night, but this fixture will see both sides looking to distance themselves from the relegation zone, as opposed to chasing silverware.
We say: Toulouse 1-0 Nantes
With a huge clash in Europe against Benfica in Lisbon on the horizon in midweek, Toulouse must first attend to matters domestically, and recent form suggests they should get over the line with three points here.
Nantes' awful form of late shows no sign of stopping anytime soon given their profligacy in attack, and they could end up being sucked in closer to the drop zone by the end of the weekend.
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Lorient vs. Reims (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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Seeking back-to-back wins for the first time in the 2023-24 Ligue 1 campaign, basement-battling Lorient welcome European outsiders Reims to the Stade du Moustoir on Sunday afternoon.
Les Merlus picked up three precious points in the fight against demotion with a 2-1 beating of Metz last time out, while a late fightback from Will Still's crop was in vain in a 3-2 loss to Toulouse.
We say: Lorient 1-2 Reims
The momentum may be with a Lorient side who consistently make the net ripple at home, but it is at the other end of the Stade du Moustoir turf where Les Merlus' problems lie, and 20 home goals shipped so far this term is a division high.
With Reims also receiving two timely boosts in the form of Ito and Nakamura's returns, we expect Still's side to make it three wins on the trot against their hosts, who will be sent crashing back down to earth and potentially bottom spot with an 11th loss of the season.
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Clermont vs. Brest (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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A Clermont side rooted to the foot of the Ligue 1 standings welcome in-form Brest to the Stade Gabriel Montpied on Sunday.
Despite both coming into this fixture on the back of recent defeats, Clermont's position looks perilous, while Brest could potentially make history for all the right reasons this season.
We say: Clermont 0-2 Brest
After battling through two very tough games against the top two, Brest are expected to return to winning ways here to keep up their dream of playing Champions League football next season.
While in the midst of a woeful run of form that has sent them bottom of Ligue 1 once more, Brest are not the opponents Clermont would have wished to face next, and they are likely to remain rooted to the foot of the table here.
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Montpellier vs. Lyon (Sunday, 4.05pm)
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On the back of contrasting results in the Coupe de France, Montpellier HSC and Lyon return to Ligue 1 duty at the Stade de la Mosson on Sunday afternoon.
The two sides are neck-and-neck in the standings with 19 points apiece, although the hosts sit two places above their improving opponents courtesy of a superior goal difference.
We say: Montpellier HSC 0-1 Lyon
Assuming the role of stalemate specialists at home, Montpellier are seldom outfought on their own patch - barring their midweek cup humiliation - and a Lyon side also nursing jellied legs will not have it all their own way at the Stade de la Mosson.
Making the net ripple on the road has been an issue for Les Gones all season long, but with Sage instilling a newfound sense of defensive discipline into his crop, a solitary strike may be enough for the visitors to continue their climb away from the drop zone, leapfrogging their out-of-sorts hosts in the process.
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Nice vs. Monaco (Sunday, 7.45pm)
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Matchday 21 of the Ligue 1 campaign concludes with the Derby de la Cote d'Azur, as Nice welcome Monaco to Allianz Riviera on Sunday.
Les Aiglons are now eight points behind Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for the league lead after playing to a 0-0 draw with Brest, while Les Monegasques are fifth following a 1-1 result against Le Havre.
We say: Nice 1-0 Monaco
Losing to a third-tier side at the Coupe de France cannot be good for the confidence of the Principality club, who are in a slump domestically and, outside of Ben Yedder, are struggling to score consistently.
Nice are an intimidating defensive force to deal with at home, with a keeper who may have a psychological edge on the Monegasque attackers given what transpired the last time these teams met when he saved two penalties.
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Barney Corkhill
