I am going to leave the MLS for this week and stick with Europe, with a heavy focus on teams battling for survival.
La Liga: Mallorca- Sevilla
Big month ahead for the Islanders, four points from safety, they have four of their next six starts at home, but the two road matches are trips to Real Madrid and Barcelona and failure to win this evening, could see them at least six points adrift and more likely more, before their next home game. Sevilla are still holding out hope for a European spot, but that looks a tall ask and this has been a disappointing campaign, highlighted by their dismal road record of 1-4-8, there is no point in the visitors looking for anything other than the win and we might see Mallorca happy to let Sevilla make the running and try to play on the break, much as they did in their come from behind win at Granada last weekend. They are without a handful of players, main amongst them are midfielder Michaël Pereira (20-1-1.... but only three starts since October), central defender Pedro Tonon Geromel( 21-1-0.... who missed last week's win ) and left back Antonio Luna ( 11-0-1) who is on loan from t he visitors and this is a bit of a problem, as long term injuries leave them short of cover/options in this key area. Navas is in really hot form for Sevilla on the right at present and will be looking at this situation with keen interest, with Negredo ( 24-13-3) also looking sharp and hungry again and bouyed by his hat-trick on Monday against Celta and having scored twice in a five goal thriller in the reverse fixture, it is very hard to see the hosts keeping the visitors out for 90 minutes. Sevilla have scored three or more in three of their last six visits here, including a 5-0 Copa del Rey win in December, when Negredo scored twice before being taken off at the break, Navas assisted for two others that night and the pair are clearly going to cause problems this evening. I do not think that Mallorca will go down easily and they have scored in ten of their 12 home starts, including two against Barce, Valencia and Malaga, which is not an easy treble. I am opting for "over" 2.75 goals 2.23 asian line/ Ibramarket and suggest that the 5.0 + for Sevilla to score three or more is a decent enough price for those brave enough and who have access to those odds.
Mallorca: Aouate, Miño, Hutton, Anderson, Pina, Nsue, Giovani, Tomer, J.Márquez, Tissone, Nunes, Bigas, Víctor, Martí, Alfaro, Kevin, Fontàs , Ximo.
Ligue 1: Evian- Sochaux
We are now reaching that satge of the season,when we can trot out the old mantra , that two struggling teams meeting usually means goals, both these two meet the criteria and I expect this to provide entertainment and goals. We spoke about Evian last week, ahead of their draw at Toulouse ... Evian are in trouble and defeat at home to surging Montpellier last week has left them in the bottom three, however, they are battling away and are proving difficult to score against, having conceded just five goals in six starts, which included a 0-0 draw at Lyon. They arrive without right back Brice Dja Djedjé (20-1-1) and centre back Aldo Angoula (22-1-0), but look just a little more up for the battle than their hosts at present and are buoyed by a midweek cup defeat and three goals, against Le Havre. The win and confidence it brought, was needed more than a couple of extra days rest and the visitors can build on this. Evian came on very strong at precisely this stage last season, winning 8 from 15 from late February onwards and are up to winning this.
That ended 0-0 and was a handy point, for them and us ,but three from safety and playing the team directly above them in the table and with tough trips to Lille and St Etienne in their next three starts, they really need a maximum return today. They are still without Angoula and Dja Djédjé (see above) and Yannick Sagbo (26-3-3) is suspended, but this is more about application and commitment than team news.Four meetings between the two in the last two years, both teams have scored in each and the last three have gone "over", Sochaux's last ten starts have averaged 3.0 goals and one here ,anytime in the first hour, should see this get very stretched.1.5 units "over" 2.25 goals 2.0 asian line/ Ibramarket.
ETG FC : Laquait, Durand - Lacour, Betao, Cambon, Mongongu, Ehret, Wass, Sorlin, Rabiu, Koné, Tié Bi, Govou, Ninkovic, Barbosa, Khlifa, Bérigaud, Adnane.
FCSM : Pouplin, Ovono - Corchia, Kanté, Daf, Mikari, Duplus, Sauget, Banana, Peybernes - Nogueira, Boudebouz, Roudet, Lopy - Privat, Bakambu, Sio, Butin.
Ligue 1: Troyes- Reims
Hosts have really upped their game since mid December, remain in the cup and their three defeats in that 12 match sequence, came 3-2 at Lorient and by 2-1 scorelines at home to Lyon and away to Marseille, leading at the latter until very late in the game last week. Only five home games remain for them to save themselves from a return to Ligue 2 and with the next two coming against highflying St Etienne and leaders PSG, these are the easiest points on offer for some time and a "must have" if they are going to get out of trouble. Reims are one of maybe five teams that could still get sucked into the dogfight at the foot of the table, so the win would be even more valuable in that regard and we can expect Troyes to throw caution to the wind and gamble for the points.A point would be enough for the visitors to stay out of the drop zone and I suspect they will be happy to sit back and try to steal a goal on the break, something they have only managed seven times ( an away goal) al l season . Reims will be buoyed by a 1-0 win over PSG last week, it was even more noteworthy as it came with ten men after Christopher Glombard was sent off. The right back (19-1-1) will be suspended this evening and Reims have not won any of the nine matches he has played 20 minutes or less. This is a Champagne region derby, Troyes have had the upper hand so far, drawing the reverse fixture and winning their Coupe de la Ligue meeting in Reims and 3-2 here just over 12 months ago, when both were in Ligue 2. Season on the line time for Troyes and they can claim a famous victory. 1.5 units Troyes -0.5 ball 2.21 asian line/ Ibramarket.
Troyes: Yohann THURAM - Matthieu DREYER
Matthieu SAUNIER - RINCON - Florian JARJAT - Jérémie BRECHET - Maxime COLIN - Julien FAUSSURIER - Fabrice NSAKALA - Quentin OTHON - Granddi NGOYI - Benjamin NIVET - Khassa CAMARA - Stéphane DARBION - Fabien CAMUS - MARCOS - Corentin JEAN - Mohamed YATTARA - Jean-Christophe BAHEBECK
Reims: Agassa, Liébus,Mandi, Signorino, Tacalfred, Weber, Fofana,Ca, Ramare, Devaux, Krychowiak, Diego Rigonato, Peuget, Fortes, Ayité, De Préville, Fauvergue, Courtet.
Good Luck.
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