France Ligue 1 betting tips and odds

Nantes Key Players

A disappointing finish to the 2018/19 season launched a mass exodus in Nantes with no less than 16 players leaving the club. Diego Carlos, Valentin Rongier, Lucas Lima and Koffi Djidji were the most notable departures. The club did pocket a hefty €40 million fee during the summer transfer market but Gourcuff will nevertheless have a tough time replacing the leading men.

The new manager was backed to rebuild during summer. Operating on a tight budget, the new tactician brought in the likes of Ludovic Blas, Marcus Coco, Molla Wague, Abou Ba and Dennis Appiah among other names. The club spent a combined fee of around €14.5 million on five new players, while at the same time adding a couple of free agents such as Alban Lafont, a talented 20-year-old Fiorentina goalkeeper.

The 28-year-old Mali striker Kaliffa Coulibaly will be the one to keep an eye on during the 2019/20 season. Former PSG and Gent forward bagged 8 goals across all competitions for Nantes in the previous campaign and will be expected to lead the line in attack all over again.

Lyon Key Players

Achieving the top-three aim will be easier said than done knowing that Lyon lost three key players during the summer transfer window. Influential central midfielder Tanguy Ndombele moved to London in a big-buck deal with Tottenham. The Spurs splashed out €60 million for the 22-year-old who will be sorely missed.

Moreover, left-back Ferland Mendy moved to Real Madrid in a €48 million transfer, whereas attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir put on a Real Betis shirt.

In the meantime, the board worked hard to reinvest in the squad. Joachim Andersen was brought from Sampdoria to boost the backline, while Thiago Mendes of Lille came to add to the defensive midfield wall. The exciting youth prospect Jeff Reine-Adelaide arrived from Angers, while Youssouf Kone was brought as a direct replacement for Mendy at left-back.

Angers Key Players

With 11 goals to his name during the 2018/19 campaign, centre-forward Stephane Bahoken led the line for Stephane Moulin’s side. The 27-year-old Cameroon international will once again be the one to watch, while the supporters also have high hopes for Rachid Alioui, Casimir Ninga and Farid El Melali.

Angers midfielder suffered a huge blow during the summer with jeff Reine-Adelaide leaving for Olympique Lyon in a €25 million deal. The Nimes midfielder duo – Sada Thioub and Antonin Bobichon – were brought to replace the 21-year-old, however.

Mathias Pereira Lage was another midfielder to bolster the ranks of Angers this summer and it’s fair to assume the club board did a good job in replacing one of the greatest talents in the country.

PSG Key Players

Paris Saint-Germain have built a reputation for themselves over the past couple of years. However, there were no groundbreaking moves in the summer transfer window of 2019 – at least not up to the usual standard they set. Les Parisiens added plenty of depth to their midfielder. They played it wise by bringing Pablo Sarabia, Ander Herrera and Idrissa Gueye, whereas the last-minute arrival of former Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi further raised the profile of their attacking options. The French youngster Kylian Mbappe is expected to grow further in prominence and overshadow the Brazilian wonder Neymar as PSG’s biggest star. With frightening pace, sensational skills and amazing finishing ability, the France international looks like the next big thing in world football. Mbappe is currently the biggest favourite to become the Ligue 1 top goalscorer with betting odds of 2.30 next to his name.

Marseille Key Players

Villas-Boas’ job was made ever so more difficult by the fact several key players left Marseille in the summer of 2019. The likes of Lucas Ocampos, Luiz Gustavo, Clinton N’Jie, Adil Rami and ultimately Mario Balotelli have left Villas-Boas shorthanded.

The club did, however, make efforts to bolster their ranks. The likes of Dario Benedetto and Valentin Roniger arrived from Boca Juniors and FC Nantes, respectively, for a combined feel of €27 million. It is Florian Thauvin, however, who is expected to lead the line for OM once again. The former Newcastle flop is back to his best and will be the one to watch for Marseille. He will be backed by an experienced duo – Dimitri Payet and Kevin Strootman – both under the spotlight as well.

Dijon Key Players

A players’ exodus is hard to avoid when you are a struggling side. Dijon suffered a similar fate during the summer transfer window of 2019 when one of their key performers from last season, Wesley Said, left the club. The right winger moved to Toulouse, while Dijon also parted ways with Naim Sliti as their second most notable player. Said and Sliti scored a combined tally of 7 goals in Ligue 1 during the 2018/19 season. With 5 assists to his name, Sliti was the team’s best assistant.

On the positive note, Dijon supporters will be glad Julio Tavares remained at the club. The experienced 31-year-old centre-forward bagged 5 goals and provided further 4 for his teammates last term. The Cape Verde finisher was rewarded with a captain’s armband for his last season’s exploits and will be the man to watch in the new campaign.

Moreover, Dijon were fairly active during the summer and all eyes will also be on midfielder Didier Ndong and right winger Mama Balde, who joined from Guingamp and Sporting, respectively.

Metz Key Players

Metz centre-forward Habib Diallo is the man to keep a close eye on during the 2019/20 campaign. Diallo bagged 26 goals in the French second division last term and led Metz to promotion back into the Ligue 1. A few Premier League clubs have already taken notice of his emerging talents but Metz managed to fight off the interest for the 24-year-old. Diallo’s fantastic form earned him a place in the Senegalese national team where he would hope to play alongside and learn from Sadio Mane, who kicked off his professional career at Metz.

Metz made several moves in the transfer market last summer. The supporters will relish a chance to see Adama Traore and Thierry Ambrose in action this season. The central midfielder and centre-forward arrived on loan from Monaco and Manchester City, respectively, in search of regular first-team football and could be given a chance to shine.

Lille Key Players

The summer was rather busy over at Lille OSC. Les Dogues parted ways with a couple of highly influential players. Right winger Nicolas Pepe was sold to Arsenal for a club-record €80 million. With 23 goals and 12 assists across all competitions, Pepe was Lille’s key performer.

Apart from the 24-year-old winger, Lille also lost Rafael Leao, Thiago Mendes, Anwar El Ghazi and Youssouf Kone, all of whom formed the team’s backbone last season.

The board worked hard to bring the adequate replacements and Lille ended up being pretty active on the acquisition side of the spectrum. The likes of Renato Sanches, Yusuf Yazici, Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Andre and Timothy Weah – the son of legendary George Weah – are all expected to make a difference during the 2019/20 campaign.

The club splashed €58.5 million on these five signings and the pressure will be upon them to deliver. With Nicolas Pepe out of the picture, Jonathan Ikone and Jonathan Bamba will be expected to step up their game and lead the team forward together with high-note arrivals.

Nimes Key Players

The Crocodiles are the club based in southern France. Located neatly between the Mediterranean Sea and Cevennes mountains, Nimes has a regional rivalry with Toulouse. The proximity of two cities fuelled a long-standing rivalry between the two clubs which is universally referred to as the Derby du Languedoc. Also known as the Derby de l’Herault, this rivalry has been reignited with Nimes returning to the top flight of French football. Nimes matches generate plenty of attention from a supporter’s point of view. Their most affectionate and loyal fans are known as the Gladiators. The name refers to the club’s rich history which dates back to the Roman Empire.

Montpellier Key Players

The departure of Benjamin Lecompte might be seen as a huge blow to Montpellier’s chances. One of France’s most consistent goalkeepers moved to Monaco but Geronimo Rulli of Real Sociedad is indeed considered a worthy replacement.

Centre-forward Andy Delort is the perhaps the most notable signing of the summer transfer window and the player fans expect to see most of during the 2019/20 campaign. Central midfielder Teji Savanier, however, will be the one to keep an eye on as the most expensive summer investment.

Manager Der Zakarian has been working quietly and effectively to compose a stable squad, packed with plenty of talent and more than capable of mounting (at least) a top-table finish, which ultimately is the goal.

Nice Key Players

The summer behind us brought several changes in OGC Nice’s squad. Allan Saint-Maximin was arguably the most notable departure. The Left winger moved to Newcastle in a deal worth €18 million. Moreover, the club ended up parting ways with left-backs Olivier Boscagli and Romain Perraud, whereas the likes of Mickael le Bihan, Vincent Marcel and Lamine Diaby-Fadiga left the Eaglets deprived of firepower upfront.

Former Ajax forward Kasper Dolberg can be considered a wise investment by the French side. The 21-year-old Denmark international is a highly-rated centre-forward who will be expected to lead the line forward with goals. Dolberg bagged 11 league goals in his last season with the Dutch club and Nice supporters will at least expect him to match the numbers from the 2018/19 campaign. The club invested in bringing a direct replacement for Saint-Maximin as well. Alexis Claude-Maurice was brought from FC Lorient, while Stanley Nsoki from PSG and Riza Durmisi from Lazio will be expected to solve the shortage at left-back.

Strasbourg Key Players

RC Strasbourg are not in a position to parry the more financially stable clubs from Ligue 1. They are, however, doing their best to work with what they’ve got and summer transfer window was a great opportunity to gain some funds and reinvest the squad.

Central midfielder Jonas Martin was the most notable summer departure. Defenders Pablo Martinez and Yoann Salmier will also be missed but the club did well to bring direct replacements. Former Sunderland defender Lamine Kone will be expected to take the matters in his own hands in defence together with Alexander Djiku. Midfielders Sanjin Prcic from Levante and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde from Lens will be tasked with providing for Ludovic Ajorque upfield. The 25-year-old forward joined two years ago from Clermont Foot and 2019/20 could be his year to shine in the top flight.

Bordeaux Key Players

Unlike last summer when the club focused on youthful reinforcements, Paulo Sousa had his sights set on experienced players and free agents mostly. Former Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny arrived after a fallout in London and Bordeaux will have been pleased with the fact they only paid €5 million for a player of that caliber.

Other notable additions include Youssef Ait Bennasser, Loris Benito, Enock Kwateng and Mexer all of whom arrived as free agents.

Nicolas de Preville and Josh Maja will be the players to watch in the 2019/20 season. The center-forward duo will be expected to provide goals for the team whereas attacking midfielder Yacine Adli is there to support them from between the lines.

Amiens Key Players

Gael Kakuta and Christophe Jallet are the most notable names in the squad. The 28-year-old Kakuta spent seven years on Chelsea’s book despite only making 6 first-team appearances for the London-based club. Between 2009 and 2015, the French winger plied his trade on loans at Fulham, Bolton, Dijon, Vitesse and Lazio, before securing a permanent move to Sevilla. A former French youth international has widely struggled to nail a starting status at any club he’s played for. He joined Amines in 2019 and will be hoping to make a significant contribution for one of France’s minnows.

As for the 36-year-old right-back Jallet, he joined Amiens following a two-season stint with Nice. The former French international will be expected to bring plenty of experience to Amiens’ backline. Together with Emil Krafth on the right-back, Jallet will hope to form a respectable defence wall outside Regis Gurtner’s goal.

Amiens signed no less than 15 new players during the summer transfer window and will need some time to complete the first-team puzzle. Time is a rare commodity in modern football and the Unicorns will need to put all the pieces together quickly if they are to survive in Ligue 1.

Brest Key Players

As a relatively small football club, Brest haven’t got the financial power of other Ligue 1 clubs. The Pirate Team faired with modesty in the summer transfer market, boosting their squad with a couple of loan deals and bringing free agents mainly.

However, they ended up splashing a notable €7.5 million on four players who will be expected to make a big difference on the pitch. Ibrahima Diallo is a defensive midfielder who arrived from Monaco and is arguably the most notable signing for Brest. Centre-back Jean-Kevin Duverne joined from Lens, while another defender – Romain Perraud – was brought from Nice.

Centre-forward Irvin Cordona of Monaco will be expected to provide goals, while the 25-year-old free agent Alexandre Mendy will be helping him in that department.

Monaco Key Players

The Principality Club went through a transformation during the summer transfer window. Youri Tielemans ended up being sold to Leicester City, while several other high-profile stars also left Monaco for good.

Winger Rony Lopes went to Sevilla, right-back Djibril Sidibe was loaned to Everton, while the Colombian forward Falcao left on a free transfer. In the meantime, Leonardo Jardim – who returned to the club in January – brought a couple of notable reinforcements.

Former Sevilla forward Wissam Ben Yedder came to replace Falcao upfield, while Gelson Martins is here to provide plenty of spark to the right wing. Chelsea flop Tiemoue Bakayoko joined Monaco in a loan deal, while Guillermo Maripan and one of France’s most talented goalkeepers Benjamin Lecomte are also the new arrivals.

Wissam Ben Yedder and Islam Slimani will both be in charge of supplying goals in 2019/20, while all eyes will also be on Keita Balde who is expected to have a big season in Monaco.

Stade Reims Key Players

The club went slightly under the radar during the summer transfer window to bolster their ranks with a string of talented youngsters. One such is the 23-year-old Serbian international goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic who was brought from Maccabi Tel Aviv. The FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Glove from 2015 and a U-20 World Cup Winner, Rajkovic can be considered quite a coup. The talented custodian took a slow rise to prominence and will relish the chance to prove his worth in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Moreover, Stade Reims also brought a 19-year-old centre-back Dario Maresic, a 21-year-old midfielder Dereck Kutesa and a 23-year-old defensive midfielder Marshall Munetsi. Anastasios Donis, a 23-year-old forward arrived from Stuttgart to complete the list of promising players Stade Reims will expect a lot from this season.

Assisting Donis upfront will be Boulaye Dia, who is ready to take centre stage following his maiden season with the club, during which he scored mere 4 goals in all competitions. The 23-year-old is another young face in the squad and will be keen to make a name for himself in Reims.

Toulouse Key Players

Max Gradel was a rare bright spark in an otherwise disappointing side in 2018/19. The experienced left-winger scored 11 goals and further provided 8 assists in his first season at the club after joining from Bournemouth. Such an impressive tally made Gradel the most valuable player at the club and he will once again be the man to keep an eye on.

Toulouse lost a couple of important players during the summer transfer window but the board worked hard to find adequate replacements. The supporters will be keen to see Wesley Said in action after his €8 million transfer from Dijon. Efthymios Kouloris, Jean Victor-Makengo, Augustin Rogel and Nicolas Isimat-Mirin are other summer arrivals the fans will hope can raise the bar at Toulouse and help the club avoid relegation this year.

Saint-Etienne Key Players

Centre-back William Saliba is the man to keep an eye on during the 2019/20 campaign. The 18-year-old defender put in a string of brilliant performances last year which ended up turning the head of Arsenal. The Premier League club forked out €25 million to secure his services but Saliba remained at Saint-Etienne as a loaned player for the season.

The Greens had a couple of key players leave the club during the summer transfer window. Remy Cabella moved to Real Betis, Neven Subotic joined Union Berlin, whereas Pierre-Yves Polomat signed for Genclerbirligi.

On the other side, the club made modest investments with reinforcing the squad. Ryad Boudebouz arrived from Real Betis, while the talented right-back Sergi Palensa came on the back of a €2 million transfer from Barcelona.

Denis Bouanga, the summer arrival from Nimes Olympique, will be the one to watch. The flamboyant Gabon international will be expected to provide goals as well take part in the overall playmaking process.

Rennes Key Players

Rennes parted ways with no less than 16 players during the summer transfer window. Ismaila Sarr leaving for Watford was arguably the most notable departure, leaving the club short of options on right-wing. The 21-year-old enjoyed a sensational spell at the club and the fact Hornets splashed €30 million for his signature can hardly come as a surprise.

In a bid to bolster their ranks, the board did well to bring the Brazilian Raphinha from Sporting CP. The 22-year-old arrived as a direct replacement for Sarr, while the club also reinforced their attacking options with M’Baye Niang. The former Watford, Milan and Torino forward is only 24 and has a lot of offer. He has never quite managed to prove his true worth and will be expected to finally step up the plate this year.

Flavien Tait, Jonas Martin and Metehan Guclu are other players supporters will be excited to see in action this term. Former Olympique Lyon winger Romain Castillo will also be the player to keep an eye on.