Coupe de France: Goals on the cards as in-form Monaco and Lyon face off

French Football / James Eastham / 20 January 2010 / Leave a Comment

Argentina international Lisandro - who has 15 goals in 24 apearances for Lyon this season - will be one of their danger men at Monaco

Recommended bets: Monaco v Lyon over 2.5 goals @ 2.5; Ajaccio +1.25 Asian handicap at Bordeaux @ 2.0

The calendar is clogged up with postponements and rescheduled games, but the Coupe de France promises to produce plenty of excitement, not to mention a couple of betting opportunities this weekend, writes James Eastham. Best bet: Monaco v Lyon over 2.5 goals in 90 minutes @ [2.5].

The Coupe de France round of 32 was due to take place this weekend, but only seven of the 16 games initially scheduled will actually be played. Heavy snowfalls, icy pitches and the French FA's absurd decision to stage evening kick-offs during the coldest month of the year mean the previous round is unfinished.

Nine round of 64 ties have yet to be played, including four games that involve unresolved betting recommendations from the column we posted a fortnight ago. So we'll let those bets run, and add in a selection of wagers from the seven round of 32 ties taking place on Saturday and Sunday.

Monaco v Lyon (Sunday, 7.45pm UK time), the only all-Ligue 1 tie, ought to be a high-quality encounter, as both sides have started 2010 well. Monaco have won three straight league games without conceding a goal thanks to the excellent form of former France U21 goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier and Sebastien Puygrenier, who's reproducing the form that made him Ligue 1's best centre-half during his Nancy days before unsuccessful spells at Zenit St Petersburg and Bolton.

Lyon have won four out of four since the turn of the year, averaging 2.75 goals a game, and will take this competition seriously as their title challenge has waned (though they're not completely out of it). A wager on over 2.5 goals ([2.5]) is my selection, despite Ruffier and Puygrenier's heroics, as there's so much attacking talent on display (Nene, Park, Lisandro, Pjanic). [2.5] is bigger than I expected given there are no league points at stake.

Holders Guingamp (Ligue 2) travel to face fourth division Mulhouse (Saturday, 1.30pm), but there's no value in backing the Breton visitors at [1.75]. Coach Victor Zvunka rebuilt the squad after last season's shock final triumph over Rennes, but his new-look side are battling relegation in the second tier after failing to fulfill their potential. Guingamp have one or two excellent individuals - wingers Alharbi El-Jadeyaoui and Richard Soumah are good enough to play in the top flight - but Guingamp cannot be trusted at the moment.

Bordeaux v Ajaccio (Sat, 4.45pm) may be less one-sided than you imagine. The Corsicans have won their last six matches in all competitions and climbed to the edge of the promotion positions in Ligue 2. Centre-halves Leyti Ndiaye (ex-Marseille) and Remi Fournier are solid in front of their own goal and dangerous at corners and free-kicks, while playmaker Kevin Diaz, on loan from Monaco, is one of Ligue 2's most technically gifted footballers. Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc has already admitted he'll rest most of his first-teamers, so Ajaccio are worth a small option with a +1.25 start on the Asian handicap ([1.83]).

I planned to tip Evian (joint-top of third division) to cause an upset at PSG (Sun, 4.45pm) until the promotion chasers shot themselves in the foot by sacking coach Stephane Paille on Monday. Former French Player of the Year Paille paid the price for a run of just nine points from Evian's last eight games but, as he pointed out while licking his wounds, "they overlooked the 28 from a possible 33 I'd already picked up."

Evian have appointed Bernard Casoni, who played in Marseille's 1993 European Cup-winning side before turning to coaching, unremarkably, at l'OM, Etoile du Sahel, Armenia and Bastia (Ligue 2).

Were Paille still in charge, I'd back Evian +1.25 on the Asian handicap at [2.00]. Without him, I'd rather leave this one alone.