Two sides that are enjoying a good run of form in the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season will face off this weekend when Nantes take on Reims at Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts are the first team outside the European qualification spots, currently in seventh place with 14 points, while the visitors are three points and two places above them after 10 matches.
Match preview
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After avoiding the drop by the slenderest of margins last term, Nantes have begun the current season very well and with a little bit of good fortune, they could find themselves in the top five by the end of this weekend.
Under the guidance of Pierre Aristouy, who is in his first full season in charge, the Canaries have secured four wins, two draws and four losses so far, though they come into this match off the back of their heaviest defeat this season, losing 4-0 away to Lens.
Nevertheless, with favourable fixtures this month, including clashes with Metz and Le Havre, the hosts will know the importance of getting as many points as they can before their fixtures swing for the worse with Nice, PSG and Lyon to come in December.
The Green and Yellows will also gain confidence with this being a home game since the bulk of their points have come at this venue, where they are also carrying a record of four games unbeaten, including consecutive wins in their last two.
However, Aristouy will need to address his side's defensive frailties in order to trade with the top half, as they have already shipped 19 this season, which is the second-most in the league, with only 15th-placed Lorient carrying a worse tally.
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Meanwhile, after a bottom-half finish last term, Reims are one of the most improved sides in Ligue 1 this season and still only five points behind the early season league leaders Nice after the first 10 games.
The Red and Whites clinched a hard-fought three points against Lorient last week, with defender Joshua Wilson-Esbrand scoring his first for the season and the only goal of the match in the 84th minute.
With that result, Will Still's side notched up their third win in five matches, with their only loss in that time coming against Monaco just before the international break.
Reims have taken a total of eight points from a possible 15 on the road this season and will come into this one looking to prolong a four-match unbeaten streak on their travels, which includes two wins and two draws.
The visitors won home and away against this opponent last season, which included a fairly convincing 3-0 victory at this venue last April, following a 1-0 win on their home patch back in November last year.
Team News
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Florent Mollet is suspended for this match, but Mostafa Mohamed will be eligible for selection for Sunday's encounter, having completed his suspension for the straight red he received against Rennes.
Jean-Kevin Duverne (ankle) and Fabien Centonze (thigh) are not available due to injury, while Douglas Augusto has returned to first-team training, but this match may have come too soon for him to make the starting lineup.
Still will be without the services of midfield duo Azor Matusiwa (groin) and Valentin Atangana (ankle) due to injury, which should see Marshall Munetsi and Amir Richardson continue in the engine room.
In attack, Keito Nakamura is set to be sidelined for the next month with an ankle injury, which will likely mean the visitors line up in a 3-5-2 formation with Junya Ito and Mohamed Daramy at the top end of the pitch.
Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Comert, Castelletto, Duverne; Coco, Moutoussamy, Chirivella, Sissoko, Merlin; Simon, Abline
Reims possible starting lineup:
Diouf; Abdelhamid, Okumu, Agbadou; Foket, Richardson, Munetsi, Teuma, De Smet; Ito, Daramy
We say: Nantes 1-2 Reims
Nantes have enjoyed a positive start to the season; however, their defensive record is a major concern. Reims have scored at least once in every league match they have played this season, and against a leaky defence in this one, we fancy the visitors to come away with the points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
