Mixed martial arts Ligue 1 Early Bird Acca Tips: Plus Three picks for the second round in France’s top tier
After a thrilling opening set of matches which contained several goals, we are back for more Early Bird acca tips to tackle the second round of Ligue 1 action. There were plenty of surprises last weekend, and whilst all the hype surrounds the possible return of Kylian Mbappé, it might be that the value lies within some other fixtures.
Lyon, Lorient and Lens – the three L’s up first – let’s hope for a few more W’s below.
- Early Bird Lyon vs Montpellier: X2 DDC
- Early Bird Lorient vs Nice: Lorient DNB
- Early Bird Lens vs Rennes: Over 2.75 goals
Acca odds: 9.46
Odds via Bet365 as at 10:13, Monday 14th August. Odds may now differ.
Lyon vs Montpellier: Visitors undervalued against a porous looking Lyon
France, Ligue 1, Saturday 19th August, 16:00 (UK)
For about 80 minutes vs Strasbourg last week, Lyon looked absolutely terrible in their Ligue 1 opener. A poor pre-season saw low expectations, and several people fancied Strasbourg to get the job done. Few could have foreseen just how poor Les Gones would be, though. They ended up outgunning their opponents 2.05xG vs 1.16xG, but most of their chances came late in the game when Strasbourg sat back.
Strangely enough, Lyon seemed more of a threat when talisman Alexandre Lacazette came off the field with possible injury. The biggest takeaway from the match was how poor they looked defensively, and for the second Strasbourg goal in particular, they were left exposed and wide open.
Montpellier shouldn’t hold much fear travelling to the Groupama Stadium this weekend. The South Coast side should have won their opening fixture but missed a glutton of chances vs Le Havre and were punished by a late equaliser against them (2-2). The big positive was that new striker Akor Adams scored a brace of goals and looked immediately at home in Ligue 1. Whether or not Elye Wahi leaves the club soon or not, at least they have found an able replacement.
Lyon looks ridiculously priced around the 1.60 mark here. They couldn’t be touched with stolen money right now. All the value is with Montpellier, and they are as big as 2.25 on the X2 Montpellier Double Chance market. They are certainly capable of at least drawing. Taking the goals is another possible option, and this fixture resulted in a wild 5-4 Lyon win last season. Montpellier can gain some revenge this time around, though.
- Selection: X2 Montpellier Double Chance
- Best Odds: 2.25
- Bookmaker: Unibet
Lorient vs Nice: Les Merlus overpriced in front of their own fans
France, Ligue 1, Sunday 20th August, 14:00 (UK)
Lorient surprised everyone by drawing 0-0 away to PSG last week. They were as big as 3.0 in the DDC market but comfortably held back the Ligue 1 title favourites. Manager Regis Le Bris opted for a cautious approach, making the team hard to break down. That is not the normal Lorient style of football, though. They are usually in your face, fast-paced and have a good go against anyone. Les Merlus had the 7th-best home record of any team last season and are well supported by their passionate fans at Le Stade Moustoir. I expect them to be on the front foot in this encounter and be much more adventurous, especially in the first half. Lorient proved they can mix and match their tactics, so if they have to dig in and grind out a result, they are also very capable.
Nice will probably feel like they should have beaten Lille last Friday night. They took a first-half lead but then sat back far too much, eventually conceding a late equaliser (1-1). There were some positive and some negative aspects for new head coach Francesco Farioli to consider. They played a nice passing game, and when they showed more enterprising adventure Les Aiglons looked dangerous. However, there was also a lack of chemistry, and it’s clear his new tactics and system might take some time to implement fully. Farioli himself can probably take some blame for their timid approach after half time.
Nice haven’t done enough to justify being an away favourite here in Brittany. It is possible that key striker Terem Moffi – who I tipped to have a big debut season for his new club – might be injured and play no part against his former club. Lorient is the value play on the Draw No Bet line at an odds-against price. I would say they are the most likely team to win, and this looks like a solid bet with full insurance on the draw.
- Selection: Lorient Draw No Bet
- Best Odds: 2.29
- Bookmaker: Betvictor
Lens vs Rennes: Goals should flow in Sunday night showdown
France, Ligue 1, Sunday 20th August, 19:45 (UK)
Lens suffered the collapse of the weekend when they somehow let slip a 2-0 lead vs Brest to eventually lose 2-3. For the first 45 mins, they looked excellent, though, and seemingly picked up where they left off last season. Les Sang et Or have lost the likes of Seko Fofana and Lois Openda but are still expertly managed by Franck Haise. They controlled and dominated the match before giving away a penalty right on half-time, which completely turned the match on its head. Brest became like an animal possessed, and Lens couldn’t cope. They eventually lost Adrien Thomasson to a red card and conceded another late spot-kick which seemed harsh. The big concern was how shaky they looked defensively. Brest could have scored more goals were it not for some brilliant saves from Brice Samba.
It must be a concern for Lens fans that they now come up against a legitimately strong Rennes attack force who looked excellent in week one. They smashed Metz 5-1 and are the early pacesetters at the top of the Ligue 1 table. Rennes had a monstrous 4.68 xG last week and were creating chances at will, albeit against more of a Ligue 2 standard defence. This will be a tougher fixture for Rennes as well, but they should carry plenty of confidence into the fixture. The talented trio of Kalminuendo, Gouiri & Doku all got on the scoresheet, whilst youngster Ibrahim Salah bagged a brace off the bench.
This should be a fascinating end-to-end type of contest, and goals are likely to flow. There is the potential for a great Sunday night spectacle between two offensive-minded teams. Lens does not look as solid or as mentally strong compared to last season, and Rennes could take advantage. The visitors themselves often have some issues on the road, and there are defensive question marks at fullback, where some youngsters like Assignon sometimes take too many risks. Over 2.75 Asian goals can be backed at 2.0, and this should be at least a half-winner.
- Selection: Over 2.75 goals
- Best Odds: 2.00
- Bookmaker: bet365
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