Still in search of their first Ligue 1 victory this year, Reims welcome Angers to Stade Auguste-Delaune this weekend for their matchday 22 encounter.
The Red and Whites are without victory in their last 10 games in the top flight, a streak that has left them just three points clear of the relegation playoff spot.
Match preview
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Reims' campaign has taken a sharp downturn, with Les Rouges et Blancs enduring their longest drought in a single Ligue 1 season since October 2012 – February 2013, when they went 15 matches without a win.
The Red and Whites' last taste of victory feels like a distant memory, dating back to November 10, when they cruised to a 3-0 triumph away at Le Havre.
Since then, they have managed just five draws, losing the remaining five, with Luka Elsner overseeing nine of those games before his dismissal following a home defeat to Nantes – his departure paving the way for Samba Diawara, who stepped in as interim manager.
Diawara's appointment failed to halt their slump, as Reims were comprehensively beaten in his first top-flight outing, falling 4-0 to Lyon last weekend — a result that left the Red and Whites 14th in the standings with 22 points, marking their fourth away loss.
With 12 points picked up from 10 trips, it would be easy to attribute Les rouges et blancs' struggles to their form on the road until their record at Auguste-Delaune tells a different story.
The Red and Whites have been just as poor on their turf, going winless in their last seven such league encounters and managing a meagre 10 points from a possible 33, leaving Diawara's side with the second-worst home record in the division.
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Angers, on the other hand, will see this as an ideal opportunity to take revenge on the hosts, who defeated them 3-1 in the reverse fixture last September.
Should they succeed, the visitors would become the first newly promoted side in recent times to avoid defeat on their top-flight trip to Reims, with the home side winning each of their last six such encounters.
However, the Black and Whites themselves are not in the best shape, having gone three matches in the league without victory, suffering two defeats and a draw – their latest setback coming in a 2-0 loss to Marseille.
This marks a decline in form considering Angers had won six of their previous 10 games, with their current dip leaving them 13th in the standings on 23 points, just one ahead of their hosts.
Nonetheless, Les Scoistes can take pride in their improvement from the previous campaign, having already secured five more points than they managed throughout 2022-23 when they finished bottom of the table.
Team News
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Zadi Gueu will be unavailable this weekend as he serves a suspension following his red card in the previous match.
The 18-year-old midfielder joins a growing list of absentees, including Amadou Kone, Yaya Fofana, Reda Khadra, Mohamed Daramy and Jordan Siebatcheu, who remain sidelined through injuries, while Gabriel Moscardo is away representing his country at the U20 World Cup.
With no fresh injury concerns reported in the latest squad updates, long-term absentees Carlens Arcus, Sidiki Cherif, Bamba Dieng and Cedric Hountondji remain the only expected unavailable players for the weekend.
As a result, Alexandre Dujeux could retain his starting lineup from the defeat against Marseille, though this time hoping for a stronger performance, with Esteban Lepaul expected to lead the line as he looks to end his three-match goal drought.
Reims possible starting lineup:
Diouf; Akieme, Kipre, Okumu, Buta; Edoa, Patrick; Ito, Teuma, Nakamura; Diakite
Angers possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Raolisoa, Biumla, Lefort, Hanin; Aholou, Belkebla; Allevinah, Abdelli, Melali; Lepaul
We say: Reims 2-1 Angers
Both sides head into this encounter struggling for form, though Reims' drought has been more prolonged. However, with Angers suffering defeats in two of their last three top-flight matches, this could present a prime opportunity for the hosts to finally break their barren run.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
