French Ligue 1 2011, Week 11 Preview And Fixtures: Lyon’s Visit To Lille Highlights A Promising Weekend
Plenty of good fixtures this weekend in Ligue 1 with a high profile clash between Lille and Lyon closing things out with a bang.
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AS Nancy Lorraine vs. Nice
17:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
Nancy may have just 5 points from 10 games already putting them 18 points behind league leaders PSG, but it’s not as bad as it seems; I mean after all, Nancy just has to keep pace with Ligue 1’s new sugar-daddied favorites until the final six games and then win out while somehow ensuring PSG goes without a point. So chin up guys :)
Pick: Nice, 3-1
Bordeaux vs. Brest
17:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
Here is a game between two teams that by all rights shouldn’t suck but everyone expected to suck and do in fact suck. But at least they both have terrible attacks and pretty decent defenses. Because that’s the kind of game everyone wants to see.
Pick: Bordeaux, 1-0
Caen vs. Montpellier
17:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
And here we have a game against two teams that probably should suck and yet don’t (and one is actually quite good in fact.) Caen has parlayed last season’s great escape into mid-table respectability while Montpellier looks a legitimate Champions League contender. It’s only October and all, but the fact that this game is pretty important as things at this stage go is pretty fantastic stuff.
Pick: Montepellier, 3-2
Marseille vs. AC Ajaccio
17:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
It appeared as though Marseille would be grabbing a confidence-inspiring point against Arsenal in their mid-week Champions League clash until Aaron Ramsey grabbed an injury time winner for the Gunners. It was yet another punch to the gut for Marseille who shockingly find themselves just a point above the relegation zone and even a trip to Europa looking like a long shot. It's full on crisis mode for L'OM and with Ligue 1 needing their big clubs to stick around they've sent in their best crisis counselors in AC Ajaccio, because nothing makes a team feel confident like looking across the field and seeing AC Ajaccio.
Pick: Marseille, 2-0
Sochaux vs. Evian TG
17:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
Evian probably won’t be around at the end of the year, but for a club making their first trip to the top flight they’ve done a fine job of making themselves look like they belong. That’s more than can be said for Sochaux’s defense.
Pick: Sochaux, 3-2
St. Etienne vs. Valenciennes
17:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
In a weekend full high-profile, action packed games all across Europe, this is a match that absolutely no one will watch. Except people like me, because I have a problem and very few friends. Maybe St. Etienne will be my friends! I don’t really want to be friends with Valenciennes though. I’ve had bad experiences with swans.
Pick: St. Etienne, 2-0
Lorient vs. Toulouse
19:00 CET/3:00 PM ET
If football matches were instead color scheme contests, you’d just have to saw the Champions League trophy in half and give each of these teams a slice.
They aren’t though. You have to score goals and stuff. It’s super dumb.
Pick: Lorient, 2-1
Sunday October 23rd
AJ Auxerre vs. Stade Rennes
15:00 CET/11:00 AM ET
Two of the more entertaining mid-table sides in France do battle with Rennes looking primed to make another run at Europe and Auxerre hoping to bounce back after a big tumble down the table last season. Despite decent results so far on the year for Auxerre, Rennes has the ability to score goals (sometimes more than once a game, which is crazy I know) so they've probably got the edge in this one.
Pick: Rennes, 2-1
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Dijon
15:00 CET/11:00 AM ET
Dijon is so incredibly lucky to be 12th it isn’t even funny. A poor attack and an even poorer defense do not usually add up to 12th in the table, This just isn’t a good team and either they’re going to straighten things out and earn their place in the league or run out of good fortune. Unfortunately for Dijon and pretty much everyone else, PSG are probably going to remind them of that fact in a very unpleasant fashion.
Pick: PSG, 4-0
Lille vs. Lyon
19:00 CET/3:00 AM ET
Lille has had a very rough first three games in the Champions League and though their place in Ligue 1 doesn’t necessarily reflect it they haven’t been especially convincing in their title defense so far. Lyon meanwhile has gotten off to a far better start than last season, but they’re going to need to take three points from games like this if they hope to keep up with PSG. It will be interesting to see how both sides respond to tough mid-week losses in Europe.
Not only an important game, but easily the best Ligue 1 fixture of the week and a fantastic way to wrap up what should be a fun couple of days of French football.
Pick: Draw, 2-2
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