Nine full betting previews sent to clubgowi subscribers today, you can read one below .....

 

Chateauroux- Creteil

 

I discussed Chateauroux's woes last week ahead of a tough trip to Le Havre ......

Chateauroux are in deep trouble, four points from safety and have been fighting a relegation campaign for three years, they lost that battle last season and were preparing for a season in the third tier , before earning a reprieve from relegation and were in truth, ill equipped for another season in Ligue 2 . However, they will have to gamble today and will have a fitness advantage over HAC, the hosts are much better than the league table indicates and can be unplayable at this level on a going day, any of you who watched their comprehensive 3-2 (the scoreline does not reflect the performance) defeat of Troyes will know what I mean, the problem is those going days are few and far between and you can never be quite sure when they will come. However, they have a very good h2h record in this fixture and will surely fancy this and Chat have not kept a cleansheet in eight starts.

The hosts also have a new coach to impress in Thierry Goudet, this was a very strange appointment, with Goudet not having been in charge of a professional club since 2008, but he has a strong group of players to work with, is only really missing central defender Zargo Touré who is at the ACN and will want to start with all three points. Touré has been an almost ever present over the last three season,  the hosts are without a win in the four games in which he has played 22 minutes or less. The visitors are without right back Loic Nestor, left back Johan Obiang and defensive midfielder Distel Zola. Both teams are weakened defensively, but an edge in match fitness for the weaker team who have to start taking some chances.
 

They got a point from that, but remain in the drop zone, five points from safety and in truth, are past the stage already where a single point is going to help them too much, especially at home and they will have to go all out for three points today against what has to be seen as a direct relegation rival, one of the teams that Chat would definitely have their eye on as someone who could replace them. Creteil are a favourite of mine, they play a very open style and are fun to watch, last week ahead of a home game with Auxerre ..........Thierry Froger was announced as the new coach of Creteil on Wednesday and has been given the clear target of keeping the hosts in Ligue 2 and three points above the drop zone, albeit with five teams below them and within a further three points of Le Havre in 11th, their mindset is very much of a club in trouble. I have spoken many times about the club being a breath of fresh air in Ligue 2 with their very open style of football and I hope that will not change too much under Froger, even if it does, it might take a while for him to get these ideas across to the players and one or two full training sessions, is probably not enough to have done so. Today they are without suspended five goal striker Faneva Andriatsima and they will miss him, he has only sat out two games in the last two seasons (one point from two home starts) . Just three cleansheets in 29 outings for Creteil and they have come this season against teams really struggling, all in the bottom six , including the two at the foot of the table.
 

Nothing did really change, two up at the break, they drew 2-2,  central defender Christophe Diedhiou was sent off in injury and is banned today, Creteil are without a win in five in his absence this season, conceding 1.6 goals per game. I am not sure what difference that will really make, or how team news has too much bearing on this game. This, even in mid january is a relegation six pointer, Chateauroux are going to be in a season long battle for survival regardless of what happens and anything other than a win for the visitor, is going to confirm what they already probably know and that is that they are too.
 

Hosts remain without Nestor, Obiang and Zola ( see all three above) and three goal midfielder Nasser Chamed. The vistors offensively are much improved today offensively, with the return of Faneva Andriatsima (see above ) and captain Jean-Michel Lesage who have scored ten goals between them this season.

 

This match really throws up a  lot of "in play" options, Chat are 0-2-8 at home before the break, conceding an average goal per game in the first half and given how quickly Creteil tend to start the 3.20-3.50 for the visitors to be leading at half time offers very decent value.....1 point.   Chat are much better at home in the second half when they have collected 16 points and Creteil have yet to win a second 45 minute period on the road and I might get involved in betting the hosts at the half, especially if they are trailing. Also, the Creteil/Chateauroux HT/FT double result at circa 29.0- 34.0 is a big potential payday for the more adventurous amongst you.