Two Ligue 1 teams fighting for their lives at the wrong end of the table do battle at the Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau as Nantes play host to Strasbourg on Saturday.
While the hosts are seeking to avoid a third successive top-flight loss, the visitors are hoping to end their six-game run without a win in all competitions.
Match preview
© Reuters
Since claiming a slender 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Lorient at the end of February, Nantes have begun the month of March with back-to-back 2-0 defeats against Metz and Marseille, losing to the latter last weekend.
A brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang condemned the Canaries to their 14th top-flight loss of the campaign and leaves them sitting in the relegation playoff position (16th), albeit only behind Lorient in 15th place on goal difference with 13 games left to play.
Jocelyn Gourvennec has won only four of his 14 games in charge of Nantes since taking over at the end of November and has seen his side lose each of their last five Ligue 1 matches on home soil, the longest such run in the club's top-flight history.
Nantes also remain on their longest goalless streak on home soil in the division since September 2016, having failed to find the net in any of their last three matches in front of their own fans.
The Canaries drew a blank in front of goal the last time that they welcomed Strasbourg to the Stade de la Beaujoire, losing 2-0 in May 2023, but they managed to claim maximum points in a 2-1 away victory over the Racers in their most recent meeting five months ago, which bodes well ahead of Saturday's contest.
© Reuters
Strasbourg are the only Ligue 1 team who are still searching for their first top-flight victory of 2024, after a 1-0 loss at home to Monaco last weekend extended their unwanted winless run to eight matches.
The Racers initially held their own again the Rouges et blancs, but they were eventually undone by a 72nd-minute strike from teenager Eliesse Ben Seghir which condemned Patrick Vieira's men to their 11th league loss of the season.
Following Metz's win over basement club Clermont last time out, 14th-placed Strasbourg are now hovering just three points above the relegation zone, while just one point separates them from Saturday's opponents Nantes.
Defeat on Saturday would see Strasbourg start a calendar year with nine games without a win for the first time in their history. However, Vieira and co will be confident of success against Nantes as they have won four and drawn one of their last five visits to the Canaries, scoring 10 goals in the process.
Team News
© Reuters
Nantes midfielder Douglas Augusto will serve a one-match ban due to an accumulation of yellow cards, while Ignatius Ganago remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury.
The absence of Augusto could see either Samuel Moutoussamy or Florent Mollet handed a start in a three-man midfield alongside Moussa Sissoko and Pedro Chirivella.
Kelvin Amian should be fit to start a right-back after recovering from a hamstring strain to play the first 45 minutes against Marseille, while Mostafa Mohamed – who has scored a team-high seven goals this season – will be pushing to start up front ahead of either Tino Kadewere or Moses Simon.
As for Strasbourg, Angelo Gabriel, Moise Sahi Dion, Abakar Sylla (all groin), Karol Fila, Lebo Mothiba (both knee) and Jessy Deminguet (calf) are all in the treatment room with injuries.
After missing the loss to Monaco with an unspecified problem, Kevin Gameiro resumed first-team training earlier this week and is in contention feature against Nantes, although Vieira my opt to select Dilane Bakwa, Emanuel Emegha and Junior Mwanga in attack for the third straight league game.
A back three of Lucas Perrin, Ismael Doukoure and Saidou Sow is set to remain intact, with Frederic Guilbert and Thomas Delaine operating as wing-backs either side of midfield duo Ibrahima Sissoko and Habib Diarra.
Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Amian, Castelletto, Comert, Zeze, Cozza; Sissoko, Mollet, Chirivella; Mohamed, Simon
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Bellaarouch; Doukoure, Perrin, Sow; Guilbert, Sissoko, Diarra, Delaine; Bakwa, Emegha, Mwanga
We say: Nantes 1-1 Strasbourg
Five wins and two draws have been posted by each of Nantes and Strasbourg across the last 14 Ligue 1 meetings between the two clubs since 2017, while the home side have only won one of the last seven head-to-head encounters, seemingly handing Strasbourg a slight psychological advantage.
A win for either side would provide them with a much-needed boost in their quest for survival, but we can see the spoils being shared in a frustrating score draw this time around.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
