Saturday 09/08/2014, 21:00, France Ligue 1, Round 1, Guingamp vs St Etienne

Guingamp vs St Etienne Preview

Guingamp won the French Cup for the second year in a row, but they were unable to double down on that performance, by defeating the reigning champions PSG in the Super Cup. A similar performance in the upcoming season will be in line with their expectations, but the hosts need to take it one step at a time and focus on the task at hand. The next challenge is to earn at least one point in the opening match against St Etienne a team that finished two points behind Lille last year and missed out on the Champions League qualifiers.

Guingamp vs St Etienne Odds

At Expekt

Guingamp 3.30, Draw 3.10, St Etienne 2.25

Guingamp vs St Etienne Tips

St Etienne has the reputation of being a formidable opponent when having home pitch advantage, with 2014 being an excellent year for the Saints. They won 12 matches out of a total of 19 at home, but were far less effective on the road where they lost seven times and allowed 19 goals.
One of the reasons for why the visitors are still credited with the second chance of finishing on the podium, has to do with their inability to score goals.

The fact that the two most effective goalscorer last season were midfielders says a great deal about their offensive prowess. On the road, manager Galtier prefers a 4-4-2 starting formation with Mollo and Gradel and the two players are expected to pair upfront, now that Monnet-Paquet is serving a one round suspension after receiving a red card in the last match.

The hosts finished the regular season on a positive note, despite losing in the final rounds to Marseille, but they lost the two games played in July. Dropping points to PSG was hardly a surprise but the fact that they were denied the goal in the 32nd minute was quite frustrating.

Yatabare is the player to watch for after he emerged as top scorer last season and he was also used in both the Super Cup and the friendly match played against Brest. He depends on the support of midfielders, but if his colleagues step up, Yatabare should find his way to St Etienne's net.

Key Facts

• St Etienne is yet to win a match away from home, with Guingamp winning three times and drawing twice.
• The hosts will be playing without Sankhare and Diallo who received red cards and Cardy who is injured.

Guingamp vs St Etienne Prediction

Past performance suggests that the hosts should be capable of securing at least one point against St Etienne, so risk-averse punters should take odds of 1.65 for Guingamp to win or draw. Those who don't mind taking extra chances for the sake of bigger payouts can even go for the outright win at 3.30.

Bet: Guingamp or Draw @ 1.65 with Expekt