Monaco vs. Lorient (Sunday, 12.00pm)
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Two sides in excellent form but separated by 26 points in the Ligue 1 table will do battle at the Stade Louis II on Sunday lunchtime as Monaco take on Lorient.
Both sides go into this game having advanced to the next round of the Coupe de France in midweek, with the hosts overcoming Grenoble Foot 38 and Lorient sinking Paris FC.
We say: Monaco 3-1 Lorient
Lorient will be fully aware of Monaco's leaky defence - which is there to be breached - and the 17th-placed visitors are certainly capable of pulling off a shock result this weekend. However, Monaco are crushing everything in their wake and will be desperate to keep the pressure on PSG before they meet the champions next weekend, so we are expecting a ninth win on the trot for Kovac's side.
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Dijon vs. Nimes (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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A six-pointer at the foot of the Ligue 1 table takes place at the Stade Gaston-Gerard on Sunday afternoon as 19th-placed Dijon go head-to-head with basement side Nimes.
Both teams saw their Coupe de France journeys end at the first hurdle in midweek and cannot rise above the dotted line with a win, but the importance of three points this weekend cannot be understated.
We say: Dijon 2-2 Nimes
Both sides ought to be going all guns blazing for a victory in this relegation scrap, which should make for a fascinating 90 minutes for the neutrals. Dijon have the perfect opportunity to finally find their shooting boots on home soil, but Nimes struck three times against Monaco and can also take advantage of their opponents' woes, so we expect the two sides to take home a point apiece - something that will not satisfy either manager.
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Angers vs. Nantes (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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Angers host Nantes in Ligue 1 on Sunday, with the visitors looking for a victory as they attempt to move out of the relegation zone.
The home side, meanwhile, can move as high as sixth in the table by securing a win.
We say: Angers 1-1 Nantes
Angers have actually been struggling of late, so we can envisage Kombouare having an instant impact by gaining a positive result.
The 57-year-old may have to wait for his first victory, though, with belief at Nantes pretty low for the time being.
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Metz vs. Strasbourg (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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Metz take on Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Sunday, with the hosts aiming to move into fifth position in the table with a victory.
Strasbourg, meanwhile, are still only six points above the relegation zone.
We say: Metz 1-0 Strasbourg
We can envisage Metz getting back to winning ways against a Strasbourg side struggling for momentum at the moment.
The hosts' defence is generally resolute, so if they can score first they should have enough for a relatively comfortable victory.
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Rennes vs. St Etienne (Sunday, 2.00pm)
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Rennes will be determined to end a four-game winless run across all competitions when they welcome Saint-Etienne to the Roazhon Park for Sunday's Ligue 1 encounter.
Both teams were knocked out of the Coupe de France in midweek, with Julien Stephan's men falling to defeat against Angers while Saint-Etienne lost to Sochaux.
We say: Rennes 1-0 Saint-Etienne
Rennes' barren run has to end at some point lest they risk slipping out of European contention entirely, but they may struggle to take maximum points against a Saint-Etienne side with a new-found defensive resolve. Both teams will be desperate to rectify their midweek mistakes with a morale-boosting triumph here, but given their strong record in this fixture, we expect Stephan's side to eke out a hard-fought victory on their own turf.
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Lille vs. Brest (Sunday, 4.00pm)
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Ligue 1 leaders Lille will be aiming to win their eighth game in a row across all competitions when they welcome a resurgent Brest to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy for Sunday's top-flight encounter.
The hosts overcame Dijon 1-0 in their opening Coupe de France match of the season in midweek, while Brest also advanced to the next round after beating Rodez.
We say: Lille 2-1 Brest
Brest need no helping hand when it comes to finding the back of the net, but stopping the goals from going in at the other end has been their downfall all season. The upcoming return of the Europa League may be playing on Lille's minds a little bit, but the league leaders should still be too strong for a topsy-turvy Brest, so we can only predict a home win in this match.
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Bordeaux vs. Marseille (Sunday, 8.00pm)
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Bordeaux will be desperate to end a four-game losing streak across all competitions when they welcome a troubled Marseille to the Matmut Atlantique for Sunday evening's Ligue 1 showdown.
The hosts saw their Coupe de France journey come to an abrupt end in midweek with a 2-0 defeat to Ligue 2 outfit Toulouse, whereas Marseille booked their spot in the next round after beating Auxerre by the same scoreline.
We say: Bordeaux 2-1 Marseille
Larguet will be fully aware of Marseille's torrid record on the Girondins' turf, and the visiting manager may have felt optimistic about breaking the 43-year-old duck this weekend, but injuries and suspensions have taken their toll. Bordeaux's senior players will be well-rested and determined to return to winning ways against their fellow mid-table outfit, so we expect Marseille's wait for a win at Bordeaux to continue for another year at least - a narrow home win is the most probable outcome in this battle.
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Barney Corkhill
