Home and Away: Hosts eye Champions League place as they welcome Bordeaux

 

Jonno Turner picks selections from France and Ireland as he aims for two more winners to end the week in style...

 

We're off to France for our penultimate pick of the week - as in-form St Etienne welcome an out of sorts Bordeaux side to the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, looking to pile  the pressure on third placed Lyon.

 

The hosts have been a real surprise package this campaign, and sit fourth in the top tier - within touching distance of third which would secure them a Champions  League qualifier place.

 

And Christophe Galtier's side have their impressive home form to thank for that lofty league position - a run which sees them go into this clash unbeaten in seven on  their own patch.

 

Five wins from six in front of their own fans shows that the Greens have developed a certain cutting edge which may have been missing last year when they finished  seventh in the table, and they will be desperate to maintain that form with the end of the season in sight.

 

Visitors Bordeaux travel east sitting ninth in the league - and are in some miserable form away from Stade Chaban Delmas, having failed to win in their last five on  the road.

 

Francis Gillot will be keen for his charges to arrest that slump here, but with his side 10 points off fourth place, and just 12 points left to play for, it appears  that les Girondins will miss out on the European places this campaign.

 

Just three goals scored in their last five away from home suggests that the visitors have hit a bit of a barren spell on their travels, and I think that could cost  them against a home side which has been sweeping all before them of late.

 

Bet 1: St Etienne (HOME) @ 1.59

 

Back to more familiar climes now, as we focus on action in Ireland - and St Patricks are aiming to secure their fourth away win on the bounce as they travel to Cork  City.

 

Liam Buckley's side have climbed into third place in the Premier League - and sit just three points behind second, as they look to better their bronze medal finish of  last campaign.

 

The Richmond Park side will be desperate to build on an impressive defensive record which has seen them keep three clean sheets in a row on their travels, and back to  back draws in their last two home outings increases the need for the Saints to take maximum points here.

 

Their hosts line up for this clash in seventh place - and that is largely down to some inconsistent form which consists just one win from six.

 

Tommy Dunne's charges have not kept a clean sheet since the 10th of March, and those defensive leaks could prove to be the difference in this clash.

 

The visitors have won three of their last four meetings with Cork, and I'm backing another away victory here.

 

Bet 2: St Patricks (AWAY) @ 2.22

 

Bet HERE

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