The first round of Ligue 1 proved once again that the French top flight is far more competitive than most people realise, with only five teams securing a win.
The champions are already trailing, and the second round promises some extremely interesting fixtures that could shape the season right from the outset.
Keep reading below for our expert tips and predictions for all Ligue 1 matches.
Today’s Ligue 1 betting tips & predictions
Strasbourg vs. Lens (4:15pm)
The managerial change seems to have done Lens a world of good, as they kicked off the new season with yet another trophy and dominated Auxerre 5–2 in the first round.
As we expected following their poor pre-season, Strasbourg are in a bad place, and this was evident in their heavy 4-0 defeat in the first round.
At the moment, I cannot see how they could possibly stand a chance against Lens, who are already making a strong case to be among the title favourites once again.
Strasbourg vs. Lens top betting tip: Lens to win
Auxerre vs. Angers (7:45pm)
Auxerre and Angers haven’t started the season as they’d have liked, but both teams faced tough opponents right at the start.
They now have the chance to make amends, and given the battles between them over the last few seasons, we can expect a rather interesting clash.
Auxerre showed a bit more fighting spirit in their opening match, scoring twice against Lens, whilst Angers had no luck in front of goal against Lille. I’m going to take a chance on a home win, but I expect both teams to score.
Auxerre vs. Angers top betting tip: Auxerre to win
Brest vs. Toulouse (7:45pm)
Brest failed to beat one of the league’s newcomers, extending their winless run to 10 league matches, but at least they can take pride in a point, unlike Toulouse, who lost their opening match.
On paper, I currently see the visitors as a slightly stronger side, however, and we mustn’t forget that they beat Brest twice last season.
This is one of the matches that worries me, and I wouldn’t recommend it except for a single bet.
But in my view, both teams will try to capitalise on their opponent’s poor form, and this could lead to goals at both ends.
Brest vs. Toulouse top betting tip: BTTS
Lorient vs. Troyes (7:45pm)
Lorient and Troyes were involved in the two most boring matches of the first round, both of which ended 0–0.
Worse still, we didn’t even see any particularly clear-cut chances to score in those matches, which sends a clear signal that these might be two of the teams we should avoid when betting on goals.
In my view, Lorient are the slightly stronger side and it’s entirely possible they could win, but I don’t expect the score to be anything more than 1–0 at this point. My best advice is to skip this fixture.
Lorient vs. Troyes top betting tip: Under 2.5 goals
Lyon vs. Le Havre (7:45pm)
Following the huge disappointment of the match against Fenerbahçe, which means Lyon will not be playing in the Champions League, it is time for them to take out their frustration on the domestic front.
It is entirely possible that Le Havre could suffer a heavy defeat, although they conceded just one goal against Monaco in their first-round defeat.
It is also entirely possible that Lyon will be in low spirits and make unnecessary mistakes, so I would rather go for Over 2.5 goals than a home win.
Lyon vs. Le Havre top betting tip: Over 2.5 goals
Vladislav has been professionally engaged in freelance journalism for seven years and has worked with numerous leading sports publications. A football and martial arts fanatic, he spent years training in both disciplines before turning to writing.
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