Nantes vs Paris FC Prediction & Betting Tips (18 January)

Nantes is in difficulty at mid-season, ranking only 16th, in the position of virtual play-off. The Canaries are two points behind their opponent of the day, the first non-relegation club, despite their major victory in Marseille 0-2 at the start of the year. They ended a drought of 7 matches without success in the exercise on this occasion. A first big blow for Ahmed Kantari, who succeeded Luis Castro as coach. Its players were eliminated from the Coupe de France by Nice 1-1, 3-5 TAB last weekend, at the round of 16 stage, and will concentrate fully on the Championship with a view to validating their retention.

  14th in the Championship with 2 points ahead of Nantes, Paris FC is not safe from a return to Ligue 2 in the spring. The promoted team is going through a bad patch in the year: a series of 6 matches without a victory. If they remain on defeats against Toulouse 0-3 and PSG 2-1, the PFC players were more successful at the start of the week in the Coupe de France. Opposed to the same PSG team, title holders, they signed a huge success at the Parc des Princes 0-1 and will go to Lorient, at the beginning of February, in the round of 16. 

The locals are working one last time without the starting defender Awaziem and the less used Mohamed (striker, 2 goals in L1), engaged in the CAN with their respective selection. The full-back Centonze confined to the sidelines is also absent but the coach should be able to count on his first recruits of the winter. We note among them the left side Machado (ex Lens), the midfielder Ibrahima Sissoko (ex Bochum) and the attackers Cabella (loan, Olympiakos) and Ganago (return from loan, New England Revolution). Machado is coming off his first two starts in the Championship and Cabella contributed to the victory in Marseille by scoring his first goal in his new colors. The undesirables Benhattab and Hong left the club. Paris FC travels without former Nantes player Simon (3 goals, 2 assists in L1) who is playing in the CAN with Nigeria.

The coach cannot use the starters Lees-Melou (midfielder) and Chergui (defender) and the long-term absentees Alakouch and Hamel, who are injured. Executive back De Smet and attackers Geubbels (3 goals in L1) and Gory (1 goal in L1) should be able to hold their place in the group. Compared to the feat against PSG, Kebbal (6 goals, 4 assists in L1) and Trapp should return to the eleven. Rookie Munetsi (midfielder, on loan from Wolverhampton), who arrived at the club this week, is in doubt.