Sunday 17/08/2014, 21:00, France Ligue 1, Round 2, Bordeaux vs Monaco
Bordeaux vs Monaco Preview
By far the most interesting game of the weekend in Ligue 1 is the confrontation between Bordeaux and Monaco, two teams that used to dominate the French league. Bordeaux is not among the favorites to lift the trophy in 2015, but they started the domestic championship on a positive note, after winning on the road at Montpellier. By contrast, Monaco is expected to fight for supremacy with PSG, but they failed to take advantage of their archrivals' false step by losing at home to lowly Lorient.
Bordeaux vs Monaco Odds
Bordeaux 2.80, Draw 3.70, Monaco 2.55
Bordeaux vs Monaco Tips
On paper, Monaco has the best starting formation, with a handful of strikers that should easily tip the balance in their favor. In the previous match, they got terribly unlucky to concede an early goal and with 22 min. left in regulation time, they were left to play without Ricardo Carvalho who saw the second yellow card.
Falcao scored from a penalty kick 10 min. later, but took more chances in the final minutes and this risky strategy backfired. They can't afford to play defensive football at Bordeaux, because a draw on the road is not something to hope for, in such a competitive championship.
What makes the opening round defeat so frustrating is that Monaco was simply dominant in the previous friendly games, winning against strong team such as Arsenal. They had no problem in scoring goals and it looked like Falcao was ready to dominate the French championship once again. The visitors will give the Colombian striker credit tonight and he will be joined up front by Berbatov.
By comparison, Bordeaux only played one friendly game since the regular season concluded and that match proved to be a total fiasco. They were unable to score at least once against Club Brugge and when the final whistle was blown, the scoreless draw came as no surprise. They got lucky to score early against Montpellier and then defended that narrow margin advantage, something that they will attempt tonight.
Key Facts
- The two teams are evenly matched, with each of them winning 14 goals and nine games ended undecided.
- Bordeaux won just four times in the last 14 games and nine matches were low-scoring draws
Bordeaux vs Monaco Prediction
Bordeaux's best asset is its defense and they would gladly settle for a scoreless draw if opportunity should present itself. It will be Monaco taking the initiative and shoot more balls towards the opponent's net, so punters should act accordingly and back the visitors. Make sure to take the safety net of a 0:0 Asian handicap wager, to have the stakes returned if the match results in yet another draw, regardless of score.
Bet: Monaco Draw no Bet @ 1.80 with Pinnacle Sports
