Ligue 2 : Guingamp - Angers

I actually previewed this match on January 21st when it was originally scheduled .......

"Hosts will move back into the top 3 with a win, they go to leaders Monaco on Saturday, so will be very focused on the three points here. They are without injured central defender Gregory Cerdan (15-1-0), he left the pitch after just seven minutes in the 1-0 win at Le Havre , who have been Ligue 2 top scorer's outside of the three clubs in the promotion places, so that is not a huge concern (as they kept the clean sheet in his absence). Goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa (19 starts) was between the sticks for Mali yesterday and it is a similar story, with replacement Vincent Planté keeping a clean sheet at Le Havre, midfielder Charly Charrier (16-1-0) is suspended.

Angers can go above the home team with a win. They are without keeper Grégory Malicki (20 starts) who got injured in training over the weekend, last match he missed was a 2-0 cup defeat at Auxerre, also missing are central defender Jérémy Henin (12-0-0) , midfielder Diego Gomez (15-1-1) and suspended pair of left back Ibrahima Diallo (17-0-0) and central defender Malik Couturier (8-1-0). That is advantage Guingamp in my book and I rate them the stronger of the two teams anyway, especially offensively and with the visitors looking suspect at the back, this is a good opportunity for the home side. "

That was postponed, but for the hosts, Cerdan and Samassa remain absent, Charrier returns. In the two starts since the win at HAC they have conceded five goals, but taken four points, they led until late at Monaco. coming away with a 2-2 draw and found a 100th minute ( no misprint) winner at home to Niort last Friday, with striker Mustapha Yatabaré scoring a hat-trick in a 4-3 victory. They are unbeaten in 13 Ligue 2 starts since late September and whilst they do look a little more vunerable at the back without the two regulars, they are very talented going forward and determined to find a way to win. This is a big game for them, the same is also true of Angers of course, who would go above the home team with a win and level  on points with Caen, but Guingamp look far more the real deal to me and they were very unfortunate early season to win just three of their first nine and they could easily have another 6-8 points in the bag and needing this to go 4-5 points clear at the top. They will go third with the win and also know the top three all face home matches at the weekend and against teams with an average Ligue 2 placing of 15th, so failure to claim the spoils could be expensive. They have named an identical 17 to the squad which eventually saw off Niort and I favour them to edge this one.

Angers have Diallo and Couturier who were suspended for the original fixture available today, along with goalkeeper Malicki, but central defender Jérémy Henin (12-0-0) and midfielder Diego Gomez (15-1-1) remain sidelined. I have watched their last two matches, a 2-0 defeat of Arles, which we spoke about yesterday and a 0-0 draw at Istres, which could easily have ended 1-1 or even 2-2, they play a very high defensive line and got caught out several times in both games and I definitely see goals in this for Guingamp. The visitors have the meanest defence outside of the top three, but it is a little hard to see why. They have conceded in matches against top teams ( losing all four starts against top 4 clubs) and those that are prepared to take the game to them and Giungamp fall into both camps/ groups.1.25 units Guingamp -0.5 2.02 ball asian line/ Ibramarket.

Guingamp : Vincent Planté, Hugo Guichard (g) - Christophe Kerbrat, Jonathan Martins Pereira, François Bellugou, Reynald Lemaître, Mustapha Diallo, Giannelli Imbula, Charly Charrier, Lionel Mathis, Fatih Atik, Thibault Giresse, Ladislas Douniama, Cédric Fauré, Mustapha Yatabaré, Christophe Mandanne, Rachid Alioui.

Angers: Alexandre Letellier, Grégory Malick, Fabien Boyer, Malik Couturier, Ibrahima Diallo, Martin Fall, Marc Zoro,Olivier Auriac, Charles Diers, Alharbi El Jadeyaoui, Rayan Frikeche, Vincent Manceau, Yoric Rave,  Férébory Doré, Claudiu Keserü, Jean Pierre N'Samé.

Good Luck.