Ligue 1 Tips: PSG to see off title pretenders in Sunday night thriller

After three winners from four selections last weekend James Eastham makes the smart selections on the latest fixtures in France's top flight...

More misery on cards for Dijon

Lens vs Dijon (6th vs 20th)
Live on Betfair Live Video
Sun, 14:00 GMT

Dijon's potentially defeatist state of mind is a reason to back Lens to collect all three points this weekend.

Dijon lost 2-0 at home to Nimes in a potentially crucial clash of the bottom two last weekend.

The defeat leaves Dijon seven points from safety with only 13 matchdays to go and manager David Linares admitted afterwards that the players were broken in the dressing-room.

The truth is that Dijon have never really got going in 2020-21. Last summer's perplexing transfer dealings set the tone for a season of misery and confusion.

Last weekend's loss summed up Dijon's shortcomings, and what final reserves of self-belief they had may have ebbed away.

Dijon's situation plays straight into the hands of a Lens side enjoying an excellent season following promotion from Ligue 2.

The Sang et Or sit sixth in the table and the boldly entertaining football they habitually produce could yet land them a European place.

Boss Frank Haise has done a tremendous job in his first managerial post, adroitly sliding players in and out of the starting line-up while staying loyal to a 3-4-1-2 formation.

Ex-Chelsea wonderkid Gael Kakuta (pictured below) has shone, while unsung heroes such as right-wing-back Jonathan Clauss and striker Florian Sotoca have produced excellent performances.

With as many positives in the Lens camp as there are negatives in Dijon's, the hosts are the smart selection.

With Lens 1.6 to win, we recommend backing Haise's players on the Asian Handicap. With our selection you'll get your stakes back if Lens win by a single goal and make a profit if they win by two or more goals. For a full guide to Asian Handicap betting, click here.

Goals the smart selection

Strasbourg vs Angers (16th vs 10th)
Live on Betfair Live Video
Sun, 14:00 GMT

Looking at most metrics, backing Over 2.5 Goals at an odds-against price of 2.3 is a sound selection when Strasbourg face Angers at Stade de la Meinau on Sunday afternoon.

Strasbourg have two excellent strikers in Ludovic Ajorque and Habib Diallo, with the former on 10 goals for the season and the latter seven.

Angers lack a finisher of comparable quality but create plenty of chances thanks to an array of wide attackers and wingers, including ex-Southampton man Sofiane Boufal.

By backing Overs you'll have the stats on your side.

The Expected Goals (xG) of games involving these two sides this season is 2.69. Looking exclusively at Strasbourg's home matches and Angers' away matches, the figure is 2.66.

56% of all games involving these sides - and 56% of Strasbourg's home matches and Angers' away matches - have had Over 2.5 Goals as well.

PSG to assert superiority

PSG vs Monaco (2nd vs 4th)
Live on BT Sport 2 and Betfair Live Video
Sun, 20:00 GMT

The season's most mouthwatering fixture so far takes place on Sunday night as defending champions PSG take on resurgent Monaco at Parc des Princes.

PSG go into the game on the back of their stunning 4-1 win at Barcelona on Tuesday night and will now be determined to underline their supremacy on the domestic front as well.

Monaco are likely to play as fearlessly as ever, having favoured front-foot football all season to establish themselves in a four-way title race alongside Lille, Lyon and their opponents this weekend.

Everything about the game points towards a high-scoring encounter.

PSG will be keen to win emphatically: it's not in their nature to sit back on a narrow lead against any opposition, as Barcelona found out to their cost.

Monaco have been the division's boldest team this season. They play to win home and away, and are willing to grant opponents scoring chances because of their preference for pushing so many men high up the field at the same time.

72% of all matches involving these two sides this season - and 72% of PSG's home matches and Monaco's away matches - have featured Over 2.5 Goals.

With Over 2.5 Goals at 1.5, however, we prefer Over 3.5 Goals at an odds-against price.

Kylian Mbappe, Moise Kean, Mauro Icardi, Kevin Volland and Wissam Ben Yedder are all expected to take part. The quintet have 56 Ligue 1 goals between them this season.

The stats will also be on your side if you back Over 3.5 Goals. 70% of PSG's home matches and Monaco's away matches combined have featured four or more goals this season.

The second selection on the match is to back PSG to win. For all the progress Monaco have made, the defensive frailties they have shown against the division's better sides are an obvious barrier to success.

Monaco's record against other sides currently in the top seven is W2-D0-L5, and they have conceded 16 goals across those seven fixtures.

They've made defensive mistakes in virtually every one of their games - and the fact they beat PSG 3-2 when the sides' first meeting this season is likelier to make PSG hungry for revenge rather than work in the Principality outfit's favour.

PSG are 1.66 to win so we prefer supporting the hosts on the Asian Handicap. With our selection, you'll get your stakes back if Paris win by a single goal and make a profit if Paris win by two or more goals.