French Ligue 1

Ligue 1 Tips: Back Rosenior and De Zerbi to serve up Sunday night drama

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior
New boss Liam Rosenior has already put his stamp on Strasbourg

James Eastham has assessed all the odds and picked out the smart weekend bets in the French top flight...


Erling Haaland Superboost

Erling Haaland has been in sensational form this season, scoring an incredible 10 goals in his first five Premier League games. The Norwegian striker has also registered 19 shots on target in that period.

Newcastle have conceded the third highest amount of shots on target this season (29 in five league games) so it seems inevitable that Haaland - who has had at least two shots on target in each of his last five games - will get some shots away on Saturday.

If you fancy the Man City striker to register at least two shots on target at St James' Park then you can back him at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00, from 1/21.50, to do so. Just click on the odds in the below banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.


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Toulouse vs Lyon - Sun, 14:00

Toulouse's chronically poor home form makes them a bad bet to win this weekend. The hosts are 2.568/5 to claim victory yet nothing in their recent past in front of their own fans suggests they'll emerge as victors against Lyon on Sunday afternoon.

Since the start of the 2023-24 season - which is also when current manager Carles Martinez Novell took charge - the 'Violets' have won just four of the 20 Ligue 1 games they've played at their Stadium de Toulouse.

Toulouse fans have turned up in record-breaking numbers in recent seasons yet despite the magnificent support the team has enjoyed, Toulouse's W4-D8-L8 home record during the time frame in question leaves a lot to be desired.

Are Lyon equipped to take advantage? They should be. Pierre Sage's visitors haven't made the best start to the season results-wise - they're W1-D1-L3 from their first five games - but their performances have been better than those top-line figures suggest.

The staggering wealth of riches that Lyon have in the final third - step forward Alexandre Lacazette, Georgia's Euro 2024 hero Georges Mikautadze, Gift Orban, Rayan Cherki, Said Benrahma, Malick Fofana, Ernest Nuamah, and former Crystal Palace superstar Wilfried Zaha - means that Sage can field a strong starting attack and also add precision and quality from the bench.

Man for man, the visitors are the stronger side, and should avoid defeat at the very least. Lyon are 2.942/1 outsiders to win the game, and those odds look too big. The Draw, also worth considering, is available at 3.55/2.

Our pick is Lyon on the Asian Handicap. With our selection, you'll make a profit if Lyon win or if the game ends in a draw, meaning you effectively have two horses running for you in a three-horse market. For a full guide to Asian Handicap betting, click here.

Strasbourg vs Marseille - Sun. 19:45

Tune in for entertainment on Sunday night and watch what promises to be one of Europe's most absorbing games this weekend.

Strasbourg and Marseille have thrilled fans up and down France thanks to the attacking approach their new managers have taken during the early weeks of the season.

Summer appointments Liam Rosenior (Strasbourg) and Roberto Ze Zerbi (Marseille) are unapologetically sending out their sides to attack weekly, and the results are there for all to see: Strasbourg's five games have averaged 4.2 goals a game so far this season, while Marseille's goals-per-game average is identical.

Last weekend was a case in point: Strasbourg drew 3-3 at Lille, while Marseille performed with such a sense of daring that they emerged as 3-2 winners at Lyon despite playing with 10 men for 85 minutes.

Anything other than a bold approach from both managers this weekend would be a big surprise, which is why we're looking towards the goals markets. 'Yes' in the Both teams to Score? market is available at 1.68/13, while Over 2.5 Goals is trading at 1.654/6. Both are worth considering.

We're looking for bigger odds, so our choice is Over 2.5 & 3.0 in the Goal Lines market. With this pick, you'll make a small profit if the game has exactly three goals, and a bigger profit if the game has four or more goals. Seven of the 10 games these two sides have played between them so far this season have featured four or more goals, so with our selection, the stats are on your side.


Now read our La Liga tips here!


Recommended bets

James' 2024-25 P/L

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Returned: +12.84pts
P/L: +0.84pts

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