Ligue 1 - Week 18 - Friday and Saturday fixtures

Nantes V Lens kicks off at 20:00 - Friday 10 December - Live on BT Sport ESPN

Nantes got an important win last weekend away to fellow Breton strugglers Lorient. A single goal from midfielder Wylan Cyprien, his first for the club, was enough to take the points. It was the 26 year old‘s first goal in Ligue 1 for 23 months. His last coming for Nice before spending last season at Parma who were relegated to Serie B.

This was a total smash and grab from Les Canaris who didn’t have a shot on goal until Cyprien scored in the 83rd minute. That remained their only shot on target and they can thank their back four, particularly Jean-Charles Castelletto, and goalkeeper Alban Lafont for the victory as Lorient created plenty of chances against them.

Lens held PSG to a 1-1 draw at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis last weekend. A good result after some erratic form of late. Lens had chances to go ahead in the first half, the best of which came from a great Cheick Doucouré volley that was saved by the PSG keeper. Les Sangs et Ors could then have gone behind were it not for a superb Jean-Louis Leca save.

In the second half it was once again Seko Fofana who made the difference with a strike from distance to put his team ahead. It was a decent shot but Keylor Navas really should have saved it. It’s almost impossible to talk about Lens without mentioning Fofana. He’s a class act in midfield. He’s strong, breaks up play well but is also keen to get forward. Franck Haise must have thought his team were going to get the most important win of the season so far but PSG once again scored in stoppage time so the points were shared. Les Lensois are four games without a win now but they’ll get back on form at some point and put a run together. Possibly starting this weekend in yet another Breton Derby. French Footy prediction: Nantes 1 V Lens 2

Brest V Montpellier kicks off at 16:00 -Saturday 11 December

On recent form Brest are the best team in the league after winning six games in a row. It’s incredible to think they hadn‘t had a single victory prior to this run after 11 games. Michel Der Zakaria’ns tactics of letting the opposition have the ball then hitting quickly on the counter attack is finally working. This succession of victories has seen the Bretons climb away from a threatening relegation scrap to 10th in the table. Their last result, a 2-1 win at Marseille, was one of their most impressive of their run. They gave up 25% of possession, went behind yet won the game with a goal apiece from their talismanic attacking midfielders Romain Faivre and Franck Honorat. Faivre equalised from the penalty spot after 53 minutes for his 7th goal of the season. The 23 year old also has 5 assists. Honorat then combined brilliantly with the resurgent Jeremy Le Douaron to score his 5th of the campaign. Even when Les Pirates weren’t playing well Faivre and Honorat were.

Centre back Brendan Chardonnet (2 goals) is suspended for this game whilst midfielder Hiang’a Mbock remains out through illness.

Montpellier are similar to Brest in that they are very good on the counter attack. You feel like they can score against anybody but at the same time can lose to anyone in the League. La Paillade are coming off back to back wins after recent victories away at Metz and home to Clermont. A single goal from young striker Ellye Wahi was enough to secure the points over Clermont. That’s two in two for the 18 year old and three for the season.

Montpellier will miss Florent Mollet (4 goals 2 assists) who is having a good season but is suspended for this game. French Footy prediction: Brest 1 V Montpellier 1

Reims V Saint Étienne kicks off at 20:00 - Saturday 11 December - Live on BT Sport 3

Reims were narrowly beaten at home to Angers last week but had some bad luck. Coach Oscar Garcia was absent after catching Covid then after just 35 minutes attacking midfielder Valon Berisha was sent off for two bookable offences. Early in the second half they went behind to a penalty after a dubious handball decision went against them. Top scorer Hugo Ekitike threatened but hit the post before dispatching an equalising penalty in the 59th minute. That’s the 19 year old Rennais’ 7th goal of the season.

Ekitike has been les Rouges et Blancs best player this season. It will be interesting to see how many he can score in a struggling team at the seasons end. Prior to this game Reims had had some decent results with back to back wins and four games unbeaten. The are 14th though only five points above the bottom three. They have to go for the win here against a club in disarray. As well as Berisha defender Yunis Abdelhamid is suspended for this game.

Finally the axe has fallen and Claude Puel has been relieved of his duties as manager of Saint Étienne. Their recent 5-0 drubbing at home to Rennes last weekend was the last straw. All season long I've been convinced Saint Étienne would slowly drag themselves out of the relegation zone and narrowly avoid relegation. It's hard to keep that argument going. They've got some good players in Bouanga, Khazri and Nordin but have only had two wins in 17 games. Puel’s pragmatic approach never went down with the fans and just couldn’t get any consistency out of his team. Former defender and Captain Loic Perrin was given the role of Sporting Coordinator so presumably will be on the bench until a successor is brought in. Maybe Perrin can galvanise the players short term and pick up some points in the interim. Les Verts have got to get something here against a team that could get dragged back in to the relegation fight.

French Footy prediction: Reims 1 V Saint Étienne 1