Nantes and Paris are fighting for survival. They are not yet in the direct relegation zone, but they are the main candidates to end up in the relegation play-offs.
Nantes
On paper, Nantes should have been bottom of the standings, but in matchday 17 they suddenly beat Olympique Marseille 2:0 away at the Stade Vélodrome. It was not only an away win; the side also forced their opponents to finish the match with nine men. A week later they played the round of 32 of the Coupe de France against OGC Nice, a side of a similar current level. They had enough to secure a draw in normal time (1:1), but not to win the tie (3:5 on penalties).
Paris
Paris are also in a difficult situation – 15th place – but the team are currently experiencing a euphoric spell, having beaten Paris Saint-Germain 1:0 in a capital derby for the first time in their history. This happened in the national cup. Bradley Barcola and his team-mates attacked the opposition defence for a long time, but it held out, and almost the team's only attack ended with a Jonathan Ikoné goal in the 74th minute. In Ligue 1, however, the previous meeting at the Parc des Princes had the opposite outcome – 2:1 to the champions.
Nantes vs Paris Prediction
These results show that both teams are capable of achieving good results from time to time, but they lack consistency. The clubs are roughly equal, as the odds suggest, but we believe Nantes have one advantage. They have Anthony Lopes in goal, who has enormous experience. It is no coincidence that the side have conceded almost seven fewer goals than the xG predicted. We back the double chance on the hosts.
