Ligue 1 2012, Week 25 Preview And Fixtures: Lyon And Marseille Try To Keep The Heat On Lille
Some separation in the race for the final European spots could come this weekend, but a more complex picture is just as likely by the time Monday rolls around.
Saturday, 2/25; 19:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
HOW ARE THESE TEAMS NOT 20 POINTS BEHIND EVERYONE ELSE IT IS AWFUL.
Pick: Draw, 1-1
Auxerre vs. St. Etienne
Saturday, 2/25; 19:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
Fun fact: these teams finished 9th and 10th in Ligue 1 last season. Well, it’s probably not fun for Auxerre, but whatever, it’s not like they’ve done much to make my life fun this season so *pptthhbbpptt*.
Pick: St. Etienne, 3-1
Evian vs. Nancy
Saturday, 2/25; 19:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
I was going to talk about how much sillier Nice’s crest was than Evian’s, but Evian’s crest isn’t even on Wikipedia. The crest of the Kitsap Pumas, a team playing in the 4th division of the US soccer pyramid, is on their Wikipedia page. This is crazy! Get on it Jimmy!
Pick: Evian, 2-1
Montpellier vs. Bordeaux
Saturday, 2/25; 19:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
Pretty much every time it looks like Montpellier is out of things, PSG does something silly, Montpellier goes on a run, and all of a sudden we have a race again. I recognize that even if that pattern continues, PSG will end up as champions, but maybe PSG will do two silly things in a row! Catch the fever!
Pick: Montpellier, 2-0
Nice vs. Caen
Saturday, 2/25; 19:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
I can’t even work up enough enthusiasm about this game to do the “pretending to fall asleep thing” and neither can you and you damn well know it.
Pick: Caen, 1-0
Valenciennes vs. Lorient
Saturday, 2/25; 19:00 CET/1:00 PM ET
Is it possible for the crowd to forfeit a game? Howsabout the pitch?
Pick: Draw, 1-1
Lyon vs. PSG
Saturday, 2/25; 21:00 CET/3:00 PM ET
This looks like one of Lyon’s best chances to salvage their season, even with 14 games remaining; the top of the table teams are running away with things, and the clubs below them aren’t going to give their rivals too much trouble, so Lyon is going to have to take care of things against a top team if they want to make it to the Champions League (or possibly Europe, period.) Oddly enough, though PSG is clearly more talented, they’re so ... PSG-ish that an upset feels quite plausible.
Pick: Draw, 1-1
Brest vs. Marseille
Sunday, 2/26; 17:00 CET/11:00 AM ET
The days when Marseille seemed unbeatable appear to have passed, but they’ll get a return to that this weak because Brest is capable of rendering pretty much everyone unbeatable.
Pick: Marseille, 3-1
Toulouse vs. Sochaux
Sunday, 2/26; 17:00 CET/11:00 AM ET
Charlie Davies left Sochaux and look what happened. Now that he's back, they're sure to turn things right around!
Pick: Toulouse, 1-0
Rennes vs. Lille
Sunday, 2/26; 21:00 CET/3:00 PM ET
If I have learned anything this season it’s that there is no flipping way anyone can figure out Lille, so we should all stop trying and just enjoy Eden Hazard before we all have to hate him.
Pick: Lille, 3-1
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