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The French Ligue 1 is heading into its 19th week, which includes a key fixture between Bordeaux and relegation-threatened Lorient this weekend.
Bordeaux come into the game on the back of a 0-0 draw against Metz. Bordeaux have struggled recently, with just one win from their last five games.
Jean-Louis Gasset's men have picked only four points from their past five games, which leaves them 12th in the table. The club is looking to return to the top half of the table, having dropped down the French pecking order in recent seasons.
Meanwhile, Lorient come into the game on the back of a heavy 5-2 defeat to AS Monaco. The loss relegated the newcomers to 19th in the table, four points away from safety.
The club have picked just one point from their last four matches and only four points in December.
Scoring goals has been a problem for Les Merius this season, with their 19-goal haul the third lowest in the division. The club have drawn a blank on eight occasions in their last 11 top-flight matches. They will be looking to build on the brace they bagged in their most recent outing.
Bordeaux vs Lorient Head-to-Head
Bordeaux have played Lorient 22 times in Ligue 1, with Bordeaux securing 11 wins and Lorient winning seven matches. The remaining four matches have been drawn.
The last time they met each other in the league was back in 2017. That game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Bordeaux Form Guide: D-L-W-L-L
Lorient Form Guide: L-D-L-L-W
Bordeaux vs Lorient Team News
Bordeaux
Nicolas de Preville and Laurent Koscielny are both available for Saturday's fixture against Lorient. Both the players came on as substitutes in their last game against Metz.
Central defender Pablo will miss this match through suspension.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Pablo
Lorient
Lorient's Andrew Gravillon served his two-match ban and will be available for selection once again. The two-week break came at a good time for the club as it allowed Thomas Fontaine and Matthieu Saunier to return to fitness.
However, Jonathan Delaplace will be missing in action for Lorient following his red card against Monaco. Midfielder Fabien Lemoine is also on the suspension list for Christopher Pelissier's men.
Injured: Pierre-Yves Hamel
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Fabien Lemoine, Jonathan Delaplace
Bordeaux vs Lorient Predicted XI
Bordeux predicted XI(4-2-3-1) : Benoit Costil(GK), Youssouf Sabaly, Paul Baysse, Laurent Koscielny, Loris Benito, Otavio , Toma Basic, Mehdi Zerkane, Hatem Ben Arfa, Remi Oudin, Hwang Ui-Jo.
Lorient predicted Xi( 4-3-3) : Paul Nardi(GK), Houbolong Mendes, Andreaw Gravillon, Julian Laporte, Vincent Le Goff, Lurent Abergel, Thomas Monconduit, Armand Lauriente, Quentin Boisgard, Y. Wissa,Terem Moffi.
Bordeaux vs Lorient Prediction
Judging by the goal-scoring records of both sides, this one is not likely to be a goal-fest. Both teams will be desperate to get a win and move up the table.
Bordeaux will again be looking to playmaker Hatem Ben Arfa to create goalscoring opportunities. Meanwhile, Lorient know that they will have to defend better than they did against AS Monaco if they are to get anything from this game.
Bordeaux have a slight advantage in terms of their experience in the division, which may affect the outcome of the game. We predict a home win for Bordeaux.
Prediction: Bordeaux 1-0 Lorient
