Angers will be looking to climb out of the Ligue 1 relegation zone when they welcome Saint-Etienne to Stade Raymond Kopa on Saturday afternoon.
This contest will see the two lowest-scoring teams in the French top flight go head to head, with both clubs having found the net just six times in their opening eight games.
Match preview
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Angers, who finished three points ahead of Saint-Etienne to secure promotion from the second tier last season, are the only team in Ligue 1 who are still searching for their first victory of the 2024-25 season, having drawn four and lost four of their opening eight games.
After beginning to campaign with three consecutive losses, Les Noirs et Blancs have since drawn four of their last five matches, all by a 1-1 scoreline including last weekend's stalemate with Toulouse.
For the first time this season, Angers were leading in a match when Ibrahima Niane netted a fifth-minute opener against Toulouse, but Joshua King's second-half equaliser forced both sides to share the spoils, leaving Angers 17th in the 18-team table.
Alexandre Dujeux's side can climb out of the relegation zone if they beat Saint-Etienne this weekend, as they only sit two points behind 16th-placed Le Harve, but that could prove challenging as Les Noirs et Blancs have won only one of their last 13 home games against Les Verts in all competitions (D5 L7) - a 4-1 league win in September 2019.
In fact, Angers have just an 18% win rate against Saint-Etienne in their history across all competitions, winning 12, drawing 22 and losing 33 of their 67 meetings; only against Paris Saint-Germain (9%) do they have a lower win percentage among current Ligue 1 clubs.
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Since securing promotion back the top flight, Saint-Etienne have accumulated seven points from their opening eight games this term, their second-lowest tally at this stage in the 21st century behind 2021-22 when they collected just three points and were relegated at the end of that season.
Les Verts claimed their second home victory of the season against Auxerre (3-1) prior to the international break, but they came away from last weekend's clash with Lens empty handed after losing 2-0.
Olivier Dall'Oglio's men have subsequently slipped to 14th in the Ligue 1 standings, sitting just three points clear of Saturday's opponents Angers, but a win at Stade Raymond Kopa could see them climb to as high as eighth if other results go their way.
Saint-Etienne will be keen to improve their away from in the coming weeks, as they have drawn one and lost three of their first four games on the road, while they are yet to keep a clean sheet or lead in an away match so far this season.
Les Verts have won three of their last four visits to Angers, though, and were triumphant in their last trip to Stade Raymond Kopa, securing a comfortable 3-0 second-tier win in February.
Team News
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Angers will be without Zinedine Ferhat (muscle), Sidiki Cherif, Cedric Hountondji (both thigh), Justin-Noel Kalumba (ankle), Haris Belkebla (groin) and Joseph Lopy (unspecified) due to injury, while Lilian Rao-Lisoa will serve the second of his three-game suspension.
Himad Abdelli has scored in two of his last three home matches and is expected to play in the number 10 role in behind Niane, with Jim Allevinah and Farid El Melali set to operate on the flanks.
As for Saint-Etienne, they will have cope without Anthony Briancon, Yvann Macon (both knee), Ibrahima Wadji (muscle), Pierre Cornud (hamstring) and Thomas Monconduit (thigh) due to injury.
Zuriko Davitashvili (three), Ibrahim Sissoko (two) and Mathieu Cafaro (one) have scored all of Les Verts' Ligue 1 goals combined so far this season, and the trio are all set to continue in attack.
Angers possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Arcus, Biumla, Lefort, Hanin; Aholou, Belkebla; Allevinah, Abdelli, El Melali; Niane
Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Larsonneur; Petrot, Batubinsika, Nade, Appiah; Moueffek, Ekwah, Amougou; Davitashvili, Sissoko, Cafaro
We say: Angers 0-1 Saint-Etienne
There is little to separate these two teams and a tight affair could be in store this weekend, but Saint-Etienne have kept five clean sheets in their last seven meetings with Angers and we can see them edging this contest without reply.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
