+++ Tours vs Monaco (France Ligue 2) 16.03.2012 +++

CureShot wrote:Pick: MONACO OR DRAW

Tours striker Jeremy Blayac returns from suspension, although they didn’t miss him last weekend when they won 3-2 at Reims. Left-back Wilfried Moimbe, central midfielder Julien Cardy and Brazilian left-winger Diego are all doubtful.

Monaco’s Greek left-back Giorgios Tzavellas is available after suspension and likely to go straight back into the starting line-up. Seven-goal leading scorer Valere Germain is hoping to be available after being sidelined by a thigh injury, and Ibrahima Toure – five goals in his last five outings – is also a doubt.

Tours
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Wilfried Moimbe (knee), Julien Cardy (ankle), Diego (thigh)
Injured/unavailable: Clement Fabre (thigh), Romain Sartre (back)

Monaco
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Valere Germain (thigh), Gary Coulibaly (head), Nabil Dirar (ankle), Ibrahima Toure (ankle)
Injured/unavailable: Adriano (knee), Sebastien Chabbert (knee), Vincent Muratori (hamstring), Sambou Yatabare (ankle), Andreas Wolf (calf), Marama Vahirua (thigh)

MATCH PREVIEW

Monaco coach Marco Simone has come in for some stinging criticism this season but deserves credit for the way he’s melded the club’s January signings (notably Moroccan winger Nabil Dirar and five-goal striker Ibrahima Toure) with some of the players that served the club well during an admittedly difficult first-half of the season. Handling the division’s largest squad is no simple task but Simone has done so skillfully in recent weeks, guiding the Principality outfit to five wins from their last nine league matches.

Tours produced one of their most accomplished performances of the season to see off promotion challengers Reims 3-2 last weekend, but Peter Zeidler’s side blow hot and cold. That’s why Monaco are a good bet to pick up at least a point from a game likely to contain plenty of goals. Six of Monaco’s last eight games have featured three goals or more, with the same applying to seven of Tours’ 14 home matches.

HEAD TO HEAD

Tours have won one, drawn two and lost one of four home games against Monaco down the years. The last of those clashes was in Ligue 1 in 1984.

GOOD LUCK

CureShot wrote:Pick: MONACO OR DRAW

Tours striker Jeremy Blayac returns from suspension, although they didn’t miss him last weekend when they won 3-2 at Reims. Left-back Wilfried Moimbe, central midfielder Julien Cardy and Brazilian left-winger Diego are all doubtful.

Monaco’s Greek left-back Giorgios Tzavellas is available after suspension and likely to go straight back into the starting line-up. Seven-goal leading scorer Valere Germain is hoping to be available after being sidelined by a thigh injury, and Ibrahima Toure – five goals in his last five outings – is also a doubt.

Tours
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Wilfried Moimbe (knee), Julien Cardy (ankle), Diego (thigh)
Injured/unavailable: Clement Fabre (thigh), Romain Sartre (back)

Monaco
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Valere Germain (thigh), Gary Coulibaly (head), Nabil Dirar (ankle), Ibrahima Toure (ankle)
Injured/unavailable: Adriano (knee), Sebastien Chabbert (knee), Vincent Muratori (hamstring), Sambou Yatabare (ankle), Andreas Wolf (calf), Marama Vahirua (thigh)

MATCH PREVIEW

Monaco coach Marco Simone has come in for some stinging criticism this season but deserves credit for the way he’s melded the club’s January signings (notably Moroccan winger Nabil Dirar and five-goal striker Ibrahima Toure) with some of the players that served the club well during an admittedly difficult first-half of the season. Handling the division’s largest squad is no simple task but Simone has done so skillfully in recent weeks, guiding the Principality outfit to five wins from their last nine league matches.

Tours produced one of their most accomplished performances of the season to see off promotion challengers Reims 3-2 last weekend, but Peter Zeidler’s side blow hot and cold. That’s why Monaco are a good bet to pick up at least a point from a game likely to contain plenty of goals. Six of Monaco’s last eight games have featured three goals or more, with the same applying to seven of Tours’ 14 home matches.

HEAD TO HEAD

Tours have won one, drawn two and lost one of four home games against Monaco down the years. The last of those clashes was in Ligue 1 in 1984.

GOOD LUCK