Mark O’Haire has 11 winners, two pushes and three losses from 16 bets this season, with Ligue 1 goals at the forefront of those picks.
He’s back with two more plays from France…
Eight winners from 11 official bets on this week's #UCL pod 👏
Same team returns to your screens tomorrow at 13:00 with @MarkOHaire @adrianjclarke & @MiguelDelaney join @DanielHussey2 for the Weekend ⚽ Podcast 🎙️
Watch: https://t.co/ylk7uitf5Z 🎥 pic.twitter.com/i6K4MyeFf2
— Matchbook Betting Exchange (@TeamMatchbook) October 5, 2022
Montpellier have been an almost mainstay in our Insights columns for quite some time now, and La Paillade continue to churn out eye-catching encounters.
Olivier Dall’Oglio’s effervescent squad have seen a huge haul of 40 goals in their opening nine Ligue 1 outings (an average of 4.44 per-game) and another high tally could be on the cards on Sunday.
Forward-thinking MHSC have impressed with exciting teenage forward Elye Wahi leading the attack, left-sided Faitout Maouassa earning rave reviews, and Wahbi Khazri making an instant impact following his summer move. With key playmaker Teji Savanier already in situ, the Occitania outfit are stacked with creativity, craft and conversion qualities.
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La Paillade’s top-heavy team have struck twice or more in six of their first nine Ligue 1 dates, although defence continues to be a concern with injuries afflicting Dall’Oglio’s options.
Montpellier’s rearguard has an unsettled feel about it and despite keeping their sheets clean twice this term, the hosts have also managed to concede 19 league goals.
Overall, eight of MHSC’s matches have crossed the Over 2.5 Goals barrier, seven of those showdowns produced Both Teams To Score profit, and four fixtures even featured five goals or more. Montpellier have plundered multiple goals on six occasions yet managed to concede twice or more six times themselves, giving neutrals plenty of entertainment.
Coach Philippe Clement will be looking for his Monaco’s side fifth win in succession this weekend.
A repeat looks very plausible on Sunday when Monaco arrive at the Stade de la Mosson.
The visitors thrashed Nantes 4-1 in the principality last weekend, a fourth successive victory for Philippe Clement’s men, and ASM have also gotten on the scoresheet in all nine of their Ligue 1 match-ups thus far, whilst keeping their sheets clean only twice this term.
Monaco are involved in Europa League action on Thursday – although a home clash with Trabzonspor minimises disruption – and Les Monégasques have plenty of potent final-third weapons to cause Montpellier problems; Wissam Ben Yeddar is in fine form, Kevin Volland is fit again, Breel Embolo has settled well, whilst Aleksandr Golovin continues to impress.
Nevertheless, the visitors have leaked in all five of their tussles with top-half teams, have managed to see Over 2.5 Goals click in six of their nine Ligue 1 showdowns, whilst seven have banked in the BTTS column.
Those figures suggest Monaco can play their part in a watchable affair with Over 2.5/3 Goals a generous option at 1.78 quotes.
Ten clubs have been crowned Ligue 1 champions since 1996 – seven of those title-winners have also suffered relegation in the same period.
French football has remained fiendishly competitive on the whole – the likes of joint-record champions St-Étienne and 2009 winners Bordeaux suffered unexpected demotions last season – highlighting the matter.
With four clubs going down from an evenly matched division, this season’s battle could be the tightest in the league’s history, and Sunday’s showdown between Angers and Strasbourg already has a decisive feel about it. The duo have tabled just two league victories between them thus far and are embroiled in the early season arm-wrestle at the bottom.
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Angers were well-beaten by Marseille (0-3) last time out, halting a run of back-to-back victories, and there’s an argument to suggest Le SCO are still finding their feet.
Having seen coach Stéphane Moulin and a spine of trusted lieutenants depart in the last year, Les Noirs et Blancs are fielding an overhauled squad on a tiny budget with few mainstays still about.
Only three starters, including former Southampton winger Sofiane Boufal, remain. Angers are now relying on repurposed, workmanlike players who have returned from loan spells elsewhere, youngsters and transfer-market dart throws. Boss Gérald Baticle has already switched formation three times with the emphasis on giving Boufal creative freedom.
The results have been largely as expected (W2-D2-L5), but at their Stade Raymond Kopa base, Angers will expect to provide plenty of threat for opposition outfits.
Le SCO have scored here in 16 of their 24 tussles going back to the start of last season and arrive having fired blanks just twice since the opening day of the season.
SCO Anger manager Gerald Baticle has changed his formation several times this season, leading to inconsistent results.
On Sunday they welcome lowly Strasbourg to town with the pressure intensifying on Julien Stéphan’s team following a winless start (W0-D5-L4).
Despite finishing sixth last season, the Alsace underachievers have toiled defensively – recording a solitary shutout – and been wasteful in the final-third, a far cry from the ruthlessly efficient outfit of 2021/22.
Even so, the attacking trio of Kevin Gameiro, Habib Diallo and Ludovic Ajorque still possess far too much class for the majority of Ligue 1 defences, and Le Racing have at least managed to get on the scoresheet in seven of their nine league showdowns this season, leading to successful Both Teams To Score wagers in 7/9 encounters.
With Strasbourg striking in 18 of 23 road trips going back to the beginning of last term – and Angers always capable at the Kopa – I’m happy to follow the recent trend for BTTS with 1.79 available on a repeat here.
It’s paid out in 12/18 (67%) combined Ligue 1 contests, with the two teams scoring in 14 of those fixtures and recording only two shutouts between them
