After a series of new arrivals, departures, and contract extensions, fans are all geared up to see the start of an exciting new season of Ligue 1.
Montpellier Herault Sports Club opened the 2012/2013 season of Ligue 1 as the defending champions took on Toulouse in the season’s opener. The interesting aspect of the encounter lied in the fact that Montpellier have lost the opening fixtures for the past
two seasons on both occassions.
The opening clash between the two at Stade de la Mosson, saw the revised forward squad of the defending champions in action, as the club went on to lose its highest goal-scorer of last season, Olivier Giroud, to the Gunners. The club owned by Laurent Nicollin
is known for its effective and smart transfers in the market.
The club has made a few signings in the current transfer market, and the performances of the newly signed players in the pre-season show a lot of promise too, asserting smart buying. Gaetan Charbonnier from second division side, Angers SCO, will be the key
to be paid attention to as the 23-year-old French striker is set to partner with Emanuel Herrera.
Emanuel Herrera may also start with Gaetan or may well be a half-time substitute. The performance of the striker duo will indeed determine the prospects of the club in Ligue 1 this season. In particular, the performance of the Argentine striker will be observed
with great anticipation as the 2.8 million euro man is deemed as Olivier Giroud’s direct replacement.
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, a sensational defender, if he does make it for the match, keeping in view the uncertainty looming over his future, will likely be a key figure in the victories of Montpellier as the highly-rated defender’s worth can be judged from the
interest the he has generated from top flight clubs.
In other top flight fixtures over the weekend, Paris-Saint Germain will be seen in action with FC Lorient and the most notable player in the match will be the star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. With Carlo Ancelotti in charge of the club, and the average goals
scored per match being 2.31, the addition of the star striker to the squad will mean a blistering rise in the average goals scored rate per match.
The very first performance of the star will be the key to the prospects of the mega-rich Paris based outfit. If the striker can come up with a blistering form in the first match, it is likely to generate fear of the hit-man amongst the teams in contention
for the title. First match holds immense importance for the 30-year-old and the club.
In other encounters on Saturday, Saint-Etienne will play a crucial high profile match against the Lille side. The Lille team, despite losing their prized playmaker, Eden Hazard, is still considered by experts to be the best equipped to pip Paris-Saint Germain
to the title this campaign.
The summer recruitments of Salomon Kalou and Marvin Martin in the midfield are considered perfect replacements for Eden Hazard. It is most likely that manager Rudi Garcia will play the duo together to give them an appreciable amount of time. The manager
will also be able to figure out the partnership of the midfield duo.
With season opener just hours away to kick-off, the fixtures over the weekend will offer plethora of displays worth to be paid attention.
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