I posted two match previews on gamblersvardag last week and was off the mark with both, results are not really important in these small tasters of what the service offers and it is more about seeing what the content offers. There were four previews posted on the clubgowi website on Wednesday, all of which won, which is also not overly important. We are previewing 1,300 matches/events per year and it is all about long term yield, content/information. There are a couple of previews below and some links at the foot of my notes.
France Lige 2:
Niort-Nimes
Home win combined with any dropped points for Laval ( away to Le Havre) or Le Mans ( away to Monaco), will secure safety for Niort and they will not want to make, what would then be a nervy trip to Clermont next week, needing a result. These two clubs came up from National together last year, but have had very different seasons, with Nimes chasing promotion until two weeks ago, consecutive defeats have ended that dream, but they will be pleased with the way their campaign has played out and will be in celebratory mood and I feel more motivated, for their final home game, which comes against Auxerre ( who are still a big name club) next weekend.
Hosts will be without the suspended duo of central defender Nicolas Pallois (34 appearances-1 goal-1 assist) and midfielder Johan Gastien (33-4-3). Nimes arrive without a whole host of players including centre back Benoit Poulain (34-0-1 ….. they lost both matches he has missed, conceding twice in each), striker Seydou Kone (25-6-3), attacking midfielder Mouritala Ogounbiyi (34-4-8) and left back Jean-Alain Fanchone (12-1-0 on loan from Udinese, he was at Watford for the first half of the season), that is a lot of talent to be missing, two starting defenders and ten goals and eleven assists from an offense which has ”only” scored 48 goals. Team news is not overly important at this stage of the season, but it still gives an advantage to the significantly more motivated home team.1.5 units Niort -0.5 ball 1.85 -2.00 general quote.
Niort : Delecroix, Roche, Lahaye, Letzelter, Konaté, Bong, Bernard, Koukou, Ricaud, Roye, Glombard, Houla, Diaw, Durand, Durak, Lafourcade.
Nîmes : Merville, Al-Shaïbani – Haddou, Boche, Carlier, Bensaïd, Amewou, Hsissane, Robail, Gragnic, Bouby, Nouri, Benezet, Baldé, Ripart, Sbaï.
Chateauroux- Caen
Hosts are without suspended right back Loic Nestor (29 appearances -2 goals-1 assist) and several injured players including central defender Kevin Afougou (22-0-1), defensive midfielder Diallo Guidileye (10-1-2 … signed from Brest in the transfer window) and experienced midfielder David De Freitas ( 32-0-1). They need one point to confirm Ligue 2 safety, but it is likely that results elsewhere will secure that.
Caen’s promotion hopes effectively ended with that home loss to Nantes on Monday and whilst they still have a mathematical chance, it is slim in the extreme and they looked a team who had the life drained out of them as they left the pitch four days ago. Top scorer Mathieu Duhamel ( 32-13-2) only played 35 minutes from the bench in that game and I feel the fact that he has not even made the squad this evening is key, more in terms of approach to the game, than personnel available.
Chat are 8-8-2 here on their atrificial playing surface and it is home form which has kept them up, they have not won on the road all season and are going to have to rethink things for next. Teams like to win their final home game and send supporters off for the summer in positive mood, we have also spoken all season about how tough the Monday-Friday quick turnaround has been to overcome and that was without the massive hammer blow that Caen received. Results elsewhere are very likely to turn this into a ”friendly”, but regardless of that, I favour the host off level ball against a demoralised opponent.1.25 units Chateauroux level ball 2.0 asianline/Ibramarket
Châteauroux : Caradec, Millieras – Bain, Fournier, Neves, Fauque, Sartre, Chamed, Orinel, Ehua, Tainmont, Guerriero, Dudouit, Jeannot, Essombé, Rivas.
Caen : Perquis, Bosmel – Calvé, Wague, Pierre, Sorbon, Guerreiro, Seube, Agouazi, Fajr, Nangis, Kim, Montaroup, Cuvillier, Poyet, Nabab.
Nantes- Sedan
Huge evening for Nantes, one point would probably be enough baring a ten goal swing and loss at Istres next week, but all three will definitely confirm a return to the top flight after a four season absence. They have named the identical squad to the one which got a very big job done at Caen on Monday and whilst we have already discussed the problems relating to that quick turnaround, it is impossible to see them slipping up against an already relegated opponent. Sedan have been fighting the drop since September and subconsciously probably feel like a huge weight has been lifted and tonight they can just go out, play some football and who knows, maybe even enjoy themselves, on a big stage infront of what will be the biggest crowd they will face for quite some time. I expect there to be goals in this and Nantes to win 3-1, 4-2 something like that, Sedan have disappointed in their last two matches, but I feel that has more to do with the pressure finally getting to them, it is tough to face a ”must win” scenario week after week. Also, they have played pretty well in the second half of the campaign ( 23 of the 35 points by which they trail Nantes came from the first 18 games) and not really got what they deserved from some spirited performances. They have scored in 9 of their last 12 away starts, including their last four ( two goals in three of those) and I expect a relaxed visitor to continue that trend this evening.
Nantes have conceded in 8 of their last 9 home starts and that included matches against four struggling teams. I think far and away the best value here is for both to score and make that a strong selection at a shade of odds against 1.75 units both to score 2.0-2.15 general quote.
Nantes : Riou, Zelazny – Alhadhur, Cichero, Cissokho, Djellabi, Djilobodji, Madouni, Veigneau, Bessat, Deaux, Eudeline, Pancrate, Touré, Trébel, Veretout, Aristeguieta, Djordjevic, Gakpe.
Sedan : Perraud, Ramé – Bellaïd, Boli, Pogba, Pinteaux, Traoré, Beziouen, Bijimine, Court, Kouamatien, Le Bihan, Makhdjouf, Marcq, Sliti, Bongongui.
Good Luck.
Previews are taken from the clubgowi daily newletter, one of six full match previews sent to subscribers today. You can read more about the service on the clubgowi website , also the GOWI blog and Twitter page where we are usually pretty active . We are friends of ”Hatten” and there are often small savings to be made for gamblersvardag readers looking to subscribe. Any questions : email gowi8@btinternet.com