St Etienne vs. Rennes (Sunday, 12.00pm)
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Two sides at opposite ends of the Ligue 1 table meet on Sunday afternoon when Saint-Etienne welcome Rennes to the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
The hosts are now rock bottom of the table with just 12 points to show for their first 16 games, whilst the visitors are flying high in third.
We say: Saint-Etienne 1-2 Rennes
Their undefeated run may finally have come to an end but we are backing Rennes to bounce back immediately and pick up all three points here. Saint-Etienne are beginning to look doomed this season and are more likely to feel pressure from their home crowd than support.
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Monaco vs. Metz (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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Monaco look to continue their Ligue 1 recovery when they welcome struggling Metz to Stade Louis II on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts still sit a disappointing seventh in the league, despite some better results of late, whilst Metz have also been improving but remain 19th.
We say: Monaco 2-0 Metz
The form of Metz may be improving - and their record on the road is not the worst - but we are backing Monaco to continue their recovery and pick up a valuable three points here. Kovac appears to be getting his players to believe again and, if they can build some momentum, last year showed what this squad is capable of.
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Reims vs. Angers (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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Fresh from a memorable win away to Lyon, Reims resume Ligue 1 action with Sunday's battle against Angers at the Stade Auguste-Delaune.
While Oscar Garcia's men were busy producing the goods at an empty Groupama Stadium, Angers' battle with Monaco ended in a 3-1 defeat.
We say: Reims 1-1 Angers
Angers' spate of stalemates on the road has to end at some point, but these sides have barely been separated in recent years, and we can see that trend continuing here.
Very rarely have Baticle's men been kept at bay this term, but Reims are more than capable of making it a frustrating afternoon and can rely on their talented prospects up top to rescue a point.
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Lorient vs. Nantes (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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Nantes take a short journey north-west to Lorient on Sunday afternoon for a Breton derby that could well prove to be a Ligue 1 relegation six-pointer.
Both sides are without a win in their last five matches - with Lorient's streak running far further back - and sit 13th and 16th in the table.
We say: Lorient 1-2 Nantes
Surely one side has to return to winning ways here, and it is the away side who look more likely to do so. Nantes have had a tough run of games recently - and still managed to take a point away from them - so a side struggling as badly as Lorient presents them with a good chance of ending their own winless streak.
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Montpellier vs. Clermont (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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Montpellier HSC will aim to make it back-to-back wins in Ligue 1 when they welcome Clermont to the Stade de la Mosson on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts saw off Metz 3-1 in midweek, while Pascal Gastien's side rescued a point in a 2-2 draw with European hopefuls Lens.
We say: Montpellier HSC 3-1 Clermont
Clermont always have a source of goals when Bayo is on the pitch, but the rest of their attack is depleted, and they hardly have the wind in their sails ahead of this fixture.
A Dall'Oglio side will relish the opportunity for a goal-laden performance against one of the league's leakiest defences, so we can only back Montpellier to prevail comfortably.
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Nice vs. Strasbourg (Sunday, 4.00pm)
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Having gone two games without a win and a goal, Nice will aim to get back on track in Sunday's Ligue 1 battle with Strasbourg.
Christophe Galtier's side held Paris Saint-Germain to a goalless stalemate in midweek, while the visitors put five past a hapless Bordeaux.
We say: Nice 2-1 Strasbourg
Strasbourg are a different beast when playing in front of a home crowd, but their goalscoring exploits and overall form away from home have been alarmingly poor in comparison.
Nice's recent travails at the Allianz Riviera are nothing to write home about either, but with a bit more of a clinical edge, Galtier's side will hope to return to winning ways on their own patch.
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Bordeaux vs. Lyon (Sunday, 7.45pm)
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Struggling Bordeaux welcome Lyon to the Stade Matmut-Atlantique on Sunday evening for the final match of Ligue 1's matchweek 17.
After a poor run of results, the hosts sit in the relegation playoff spot, just one point above bottom side Saint-Etienne, whilst the visitors are very much in mid-table, currently sat in 10th.
We say: Bordeaux 1-3 Lyon
Whether you go with the pattern of their Ligue 1 form (WLWLWL) or of their form in all competitions (WWLWWL), it indicates Lyon are set for a win. Bordeaux's form in general backs that up and we are predicting a high-scoring affair with all three points heading back to Lyon.
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Barney Corkhill
