Ligue 1 - Matchday 21 - Sunday fixtures

Rennes V Bordeaux - Kicks of at 12:00 GMT - Live on BT Sport extra 2

Rennes have hit a bot of a wobble. Since thrashing Saint Etienne 5-0 in early December they have won just one of their following five games which included being knocked out of the Coupe France by Nancy. In their last game they lost 1-0 at Lens. It was a close game but Rennes didn't manage a single shot on target which is surprising given the attacking talent that they have in Laborde, Terrier and Bourigeaud. Les Rennais have some good players at the AFCON but still started with a quality first eleven. Goalkeeper Alfred Gomis, at the tournament with Senegal, was well covered by the young Turk Doğan Alemdar. The 19 year old made some important saves and showed good awareness to keep Lens out until the 89th minute.

Centre back Nayef Aguerd (Morocco), right back Hamari Traore (Mali) and forward Kamal-Deen Sulemana (Ghana) are also at the tournament. As of yet Manager Bruno Génésio has nothing to worry about regarding Covid in the squad. He should therefore be confident of getting a win at home against a struggling side.

Bordeaux continue to struggle. They have just one win in nine league games and are out of the Coupe De France. Last week they lost 1-0 at Marseille. The Bordelais hierarchy had requested the match be postponed due to high amounts of Covid cases within the squad. The LFP rejected the request which is hard to understand why given that other matches were postponed for the same reason. Most players missing will be out of isolation and hopefully recovered for this game. Bordeaux's potentially lethal strike pairing of Hwang Ui-Jo (6 goals in 15 games) and Alberth Elis (7 goals in 12 games) did play against Marseille but were not given the service needed to threaten the opposition goal. There are no signs of Bordeaux recruiting in this January transfer window so it's hard to see how they get out of this relegation scrap. In fact it seems like they are looking to sell several players in order to balance the books. Captain Laurent Koscielny is apparently a player the board would like to cash in on whilst striker Samuel Kalu is said to possibly be leaving for Watford. Bordeaux sit in 17th place but are only a single point above Lorient who have a game in hand over them. It's difficult times for Vladimir Petković and his team. Defender Gideon Mensah and midfielder Jean Onana are at the AFCON whilst veteran striker Jimmy Briand (2 goals 1 assist) is out with a foot injury.

French Footy prediction: Rennes 1 - Bordeaux 0

Lorient V Angers - Kicks off at 14:00 GMT

Last week’s scheduled match at Lille was postponed due to Lorient having too many players test positive for Covid-19. Les Merlus have all those players back now and only midfielder Dango Ouattara is at the AFCON. Midfielders Fabien Lemoine and forward Stephane Diarra are injured but other than that they should have a fresh squad to face Angers. Christophe Pélissier is desperate for a win as his team haven't had one in thirteen league games. An awful run of form that sees them lie in 19th place. And yet they held PSG to a 1-1 draw in their last match. Midfielder Thomas Monconduit put Les Merlus ahead on 40 minutes and they held out until stoppage time only to be pegged back by a late equaliser. What a result it would have been to end the year on if they‘d beaten Paris! Lorient should take confidence from that performance in to this game. They have their strike force of Armand Laurienté and Terem Moffi fit and well so need to create chances for them.

The duo are actually the only strikers in the squad since Croatian forward Adrian Grbic was sent out on loan to Vitesse Arnhem until the end of the season. According to local newspaper Ouest-France Lorient are said to be interested in 22 year old striker Ibrahima Konate (not to be confused with the Liverpool defender of the same name). The Malien forward currently plays for Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08 who have already apparently rebuffed a bid from the Bretons of 3 Million Euros. It will be interesting to see how that plays out but Lorient really need a win here. A victory could well take them out of the bottom three.

Angers too had their game postponed last week due to an outbreak of Coronavirus. Whilst the squad has recovered from Covid, Angers still have plenty of players missing through injury and the AFCON. Midfileder Zinedine Ould Khaled and forward Bilal Brahimi are carrying thigh injuries. Defender Romain Thomas (2 goals) and forward Mohamed Ali Cho (2 goals) are both suffering with back injuries and are doubts for this game. Les Scoistes have four players at the tournament in Cameroon: Defender Enzo Ebosse, midfielder Azzedine Ounahi (1 goal 1 assist),winger Sofiane Boufal (5 goals 3 assists) and striker Stephane Bahoken. (2 goals). Boufal in particular is a big miss but you wonder who they'll play up front without Bahoken if Cho doesn't pass a fitnees test. Perhaps midfielder Fulgini will be pushed further forward. Angers Manager Gérald Baticle has done a great job since taking over in the summer.

He is hamstrung though by Angers financial difficulties so unlikely to get any new players in this month. Baticle has already seen his goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni and winger Sadio Thioub go out on loan to Saint Etienne and could possibly lose more players.

French Footy prediction: Lorient 1 - Angers 0

Monaco V Clermont - Kicks off at 14:00 GMT - Live on BT Sport ESPN

Monaco had such a disappointing start to the season but got a bit more consistency towards the end of the year. They finished with possibly their best result of the season, a 2-1 home win against Rennes. Last weeks goalless draw at Nantes will have disappointed new Manager Philippe Clement a little in his first game in charge. The Belgian had a thin squad to choose from due to injury and Covid-19. He has his first point and clean sheet as Monaco Boss though so has something to build on. Top scorer Wissam Ben Yedder is still recovering from the virus as are defender Axel Disasi and influential midfielder Youssouf Fofana. Attacking midfielder Aleksandr Golovin is a doubt with the abdominal injury that kept him out last week. Clement also has some decisions to make in the transfer market. He is said to be interested in Club Bruge defender Stanley Nsoki formerly of PSG and Nice. That could be in preparation of losing centre back Benoit Badiashile who is being chased by Newcastle. The sticking point is the 20 year old is currently carrying a thigh injury that could keep him out for the next few weeks.

Clermont's 0-0 draw at home to Reims last weekend wasn't a bad result given that they played with 10 men for 75 minutes and are without top scorer Mohamed Bayo. Les Lanciers started with 27 year old striker Pierre-Yves Hamel up front who had an early chance against Reims but couldn't beat the keeper. Hamel is yet to score this season. In fairness Pascal Gastien's side did play well last weekend and came close to scoring a few times. Winger Jodel Dossou was lively and caused Reims problems but again couldn't beat the keeper. Like Bayo, Midfielders Jim Allevinah and Sofiane Khaoui are also at the AFCON whilst defenders Alidu Seidu and midfielder Johan Gastien are suspended. With Clermont struggling to score goals it's difficult to see them getting anything at Monaco.

French Footy prediction: Monaco 1 V Clermont 0

Reims V Metz - Kicks off at 14:00 GMT

After their goalless draw at Clermont last week Reims are in 14th place. Although several teams below them have a game in hand, Les Rouges et Blanc have a six point buffer over 15th place. That’s surely as much as Manager Oscar Garcia could have hoped for at this stage of the season. The team from Champagne lost their top scorer in the summer, had little transfer activity and brought in a new Manager with a poor track record in Ligue 1. However Garcia has got his young team playing some attractive football and picking up results. They are five games unbeaten including two Coupe De France games. Reims are very tight at the back and only the top four have a better defensive record. Scoring goals has been a struggle and that's not helped by top scorer Hugo Ekitike (8 goals 2 assists) being suspended for the second match running. They also have four players at the AFCON: left back Ghislain Konan, midfielders Moussa Doumbia and Moreto Cassama and forward El Bilal Toure. With all these first team players missing I would expect Reims to struggle but today's opponents have much worse issues with their squad.

Poor Metz. They're having a shocking season anyway but their squad, more than any other, has been decimated by the African Cup of Nations. Les Grenats have seven players at the AFCON and all but one are regular starters. They are missing their number one goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja, integral defenders Dylan Bronn and Boubakar Kouyate and creative players Habib Maiga, Pape Sarr and Farid Boulaya. Those outfield players have scored seven goals between them. Whilst that's not a lot it it contributes massively to a team that's struggling. Metz have more problems with missing players due to injury. Influential full back Fabien Centonze is out until late January with a thigh injury. The 25 year old has four goals and one assist and is behind a lot of his teams attacking play. Therefore he is a huge loss. Defender Kevin N'Doram is out with a broken foot whilst Matthieu Udol and Manuel Cabit are out for the season. Frederic Antonnetti has managed to bring in two players; centre half Jean-Armel Kana Biyik and midfielder Ibrahim Amadou. The former played last week in the 2-0 home defeat to Eastern rivals Strasbourg.

Former Seville midfielder Amadou only signed on Thursday so it will be interesting to see if he features here. Metz are 19th and Lorient just above them have a game in hand. Everything seems to be going against them at the moment. A win here could pull them out of the bottom three but it's difficult to see that happening. French Footy prediction: Reims 1 - Metz 0

Strasbourg V Montpellier - Kicks off at 14:00 GMT

After winning 2-0 at Metz last week Strasbourg sit 8th in the table with a game in hand over five of the teams above them. A win here could take them up as high as 4th if other results go that way. Whilst their squad remains a little unbalanced, they have a good side punctuated by their strikers. Although Habib Diallo (8 goals 1 assist) is at the AFCON Ludovic Ajorque (10 goals 6 assists) once again made the difference. He scored the opener then headed across goal for Aholou to get the second. The 6 foot 5 striker has been one of the players of the season so far and wil be a huge miss this weekend as he is suspended. We may see Kevin Gameiro (pictured) and Moïse Sahi start up front together against Montpellier unless Julien Stéphan decides to play with a single striker.

Either way they won’t have the same cutting edge without Diallo or Ajorque and they‘ll face a sterner test against Montpellier than they had at Metz.

Montpellier have won their last six games culminating in an impressive 1-0 French Cup win over Strasbourg two weeks ago. That recent form has seen La Paillade jump to fifth in the table. As last weeks game against Troyes was postponed due to the latter's out break of Covid, Montpellier have a game in hand over four of the teams above them. Manager Olivier Dall'Oglio has done a brilliant job since taking over in the summer. Particularly after losing one of the best strike pairings in the league when Delort and Laborde were sold.

The pace, skill and creativity of Mollet, Savanier and Mavididi playing behind industrious striker Valere Germain has worked well. There don’t seem to be any rumours regarding transfer activity for Montpellier so Dall'Oglio will probably have to continue working with what he has. How much can he get out of this squad? Thankfully for him his squad have no issues with Covid as yet and are only missing defender Maxime Esteve through injury. Defender Ambroise Oyongo is at the AFCON but has only featured in one match for Montpellier this season so will hardly be a big miss. La Paillade should be fresh and confident here. Two decent teams in form so should be a good game.

French Footy prediction: Strasbourg 0 - Montpellier 1

Troyes V Lyon - Kicks off at 16:05 GMT - Live on BT Sport ESPN

Troyes are three league games without a win and were knocked out of the Cup by Ligue 2 Nancy. They picked up a valuable point in their last league game drawing 1-1 with Brest. L’ESTAC rode their luck a little in that game but got a late equaliser through veteran centre back Adil Rami. Rami was picked up as a free agent in the summer but struggled with injuries. Troyes have looked more organised since he came in to the side and he has contributed with two goals in seven games. As Troyes don’t score many goals he’s a valuable addition to the squad.

Local newspaper L’Est-Eclair is claiming that Troyes are looking at getting in another former World Cup winner in during this January transfer window. 34 year old midfielder Blaise Matuidi has had a fantastic career winning trophies with PSG, Juventus and France. He is not currently playing at Inter Miami though and started his career at Troyes. If he was to return it really would be a coup for the small club from Champagne. Troyes have four regular players at the AFCO; strikers Yoann Touzghar (2 goals) and Mama Balde (3 goals 1 assist) and defenders Issa Kabore and Rominigue Kouame. They are not big goal scorers anyway so could struggle without these players.

Lyon too are missing key players and are on a run of seven league games without a win. They did hold PSG to a draw last week at home and might have got the win after Lucas Paqueta put them in front early on. They couldn’t hold on though and whilst a point is always a decent result against Paris it doesn’t take the pressure off manager Peter Bosz. According to newspaper Ouest France President Jean-Michel Aulas has given an interview to Europe 2 saying that Bosz has until the end of February to turn things around.

Les Lyonnais have not been hit by Covid and the AFCON as much as other squads but are missing three strikers due to the tournament; Tino Kadewere, Islam Slimani and Karl Toko Ekambi. Only midfielder Thiago Mendes has the virus. Defenders Sinaly Diomande and Jason Denayer are injured. Lyon are desperate for a win here. Eleventh place at this stage of the season is a disaster after finishing fourth in the last campaign.

French Footy prediction: Troyes 0 - Lyon 1

Marseille V Lille - Kicks off at 19:45 GMT - Live on BT Sport ESPN

Marseille got an important if expected win last weekend at Bordeaux. Jorge Sampaoli’s side didn’t have to be at their best to beat a depleted and out of form Bordeaux team. Winger Cengiz Ünder‘s fifth league goal of the season was enough to seal the victory.

L’OM haven’t put more than two league wins together since August. That needs to change if they are going to keep the pressure on Nice and distance themselves from Lens and Rennes for second place. Off the pitch controversy rears it’s head for the Phoeniclan Club yet again. Senegalese midfielder Pape Gueye was sold to Watford from Le Havre in 2020 then seemingly changed his mind and signed for Marseille just 17 hours later. According to L’Equipe, FIFA have banned Marseille from any transfer activity for the next two transfer windows. The player himself has been banned for four months meaning he can’t participate for Senegal at the AFCON. As Marseille are likely to appeal this decision they should be able to continue with their business in the current transfer window. It’s a messy affair and it seems odd the transfer from Watford to Marseille was ever allowed to take place. Meanwhile Sampaoli has signed striker Cedric Bakambu as a free agent. The DR Congo International played for Beijing Guoan but left in November. It’s not exactly a marquee signing but time will tell if he adds something to the squad.

Lille are unbeaten in the league in seven games and have had decent results in Europe and the French Cup too.Their last league game saw Les Dogues win 3-2 at Bordeaux with the winner coming once again from Jonathan David. The Canadian striker now has 19 goals in all competitions this season. The recent Derby match in the French Cup against Lens did not go their way however. Jocelyn Gourvennec will be sick that his team threw away a two goal lead to end up being knocked out on penalties. They weren’t helped by three of their main players being out with Covid: Benjamin Andre, Jonathan David and Xeka. Luckily only the latter is a doubt for this game. As last weeks game against Lorient was postponed due to the pandemic Les Dogues should be fresh for this game and in good shape to continue their decent league form. French Footy prediction: Marseille 1 - Lille 1