Two struggling Ligue 1 sides, Strasbourg and Clermont, face off in round 11's clash at Stade de la Meinau on Sunday.
Patrick Vieira's men ended a losing run with their 1-1 draw with Rennes in the previous round, while the second-bottom outfit's mini-revival ended against league-leading Nice.
Match preview
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Strasbourg's winless run in Ligue 1 now reads four, but Vieira's men must take confidence from ending the three-game losing run that saw them slide towards the relegation playoff spot.
Two places and two points separate La Racing from Metz, and it could have been different had they slumped to another loss and the 16th-placed side and Lorient won their games against Le Havre and Reims, respectively.
Despite avoiding the bottom three places, Vieira and his side know they must secure their first victory in over a month to rise in the standings.
The form in Alsace was decent before the recent drop-off in performances and results, with seven points from an available nine in their first three home games outdoing all but two sides at the time.
Losses to Lens and Nantes in the last two means Strasbourg's home form is the 12th best in the division, and La Racing seek to turn the tide on Sunday.
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Clermont are unlikely to be charitable opponents, even if last weekend's defeat by Nice ended a two-game winning run that looked to be the fillip for a side already five points from safety.
Nevertheless, the loss to Nice could be overlooked, given the opposition, who have not conceded a goal in the last five Ligue 1 games.
Facing Strasbourg presents a chance to restart that short positive sequence, and the fact that Pascal Gastien's men have secured four of their five points this term on their travels adds to any encouragement they might already have.
While they were defeated by Le Havre in September, securing four points against teams in the league's bottom half — Toulouse and Lyon — gives the Lancers added confidence.
They are without a win at Strasbourg since both sides last faced off in February 2017 in Ligue 2, and a mentality shift is imperative for Clermont to end the four-game winless run against Sunday's opponents.
Team News
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Vieira is not expected to have Habib Diarra in contention for another week or fortnight, while Karol Fila's ligament injury keeps out the defender until 2024.
Chelsea loanee Angelo returned to the line-up but was replaced before the hour, and it remains to be seen if the wide attacker keeps his spot in the team that should have minimal changes from last weekend's draw with Rennes.
Lebo Mothiba came off the bench to score the late leveller last week, possibly forcing Strasbourg's top scorer in the league back into the side.
With Jeremie Bela still absent, Clermont could field an unchanged side to the team that faced Nice in round 10.
Neto Borges, dismissed against Montpellier in round eight, returns for the visitors at wing-back this weekend.
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Sels; Senaya, Nyamsi, Perrin, Delaine; Doukoure, Mwanga; Angelo, Dion, Bakwa; Mothiba
Clermont possible starting lineup:
Diaw; Ogier, Pelmard, Caufriez; Konate, Gonalons, Gastien, Magnin, Borges; Nicholson; Cham-Saracevic
We say: Strasbourg 1-1 Clermont
The spoils could be shared in Sunday's game, with both sides taking few risks to avoid losing the game.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
