Bastia preview

• The Corsican outfit continue to be strong at home and poor away, a continuation of their theme of last season, and to a certain degree their overall historical trend.
• Bastia are hit hard by injuries and suspensions. At least half a dozen players are on the treatment table and three guys are banned.
• The most notable absences are at the back where the defensive duo of Squillaci & Djiku miss out. Midfielder Cahuzac & striker Enzo Crivelli are also fairly significant starters who won’t feature.
• Low scoring contests are generally a theme in Bastia games, with both teams scoring in only 1 of their 8 contests. The pitch here at Le Stade Furiani can be questionable.

Angers preview

• The visitors have only lost 1 of their last 5 games and have improved their form after a poor start to the season.
• Team news is favourable with only long term casualties ruled out and no suspensions.
• Can generally be a tough team to beat away from home and have the ability to set themselves up in a compact way.

Conclusion & betting analysis

• Both meetings between the two teams ended up as 1-0 home wins last season and a similar outcome here wouldn’t be a surprise.
• I say this nearly every time Bastia play at home, but they are continually underrated by everyone.
• They can be grabbed @ 1.83 on a DNB handicap which is too big when you consider what their home record is like under Francois Ciccolini.
• However, Bastia never get their home results very convincingly. It’s like they just graft their way to tight wins or draws and there feels like a strong element of luck to their success.
• Because they have so many injuries and suspensions tonight then I won’t back them, but it wouldn't be a surprise if Bastia nabbed victory.
• This is highly likely to be a low scoring contest and the goal line is set between 1.5 and 1.75, which is incredibly low even for French football standards.

Prediction: 0-0

Recommended bet: None