Struggling Saint-Etienne will look to capitalise on home advantage when they welcome Strasbourg to the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
The vast majority of ASSE's points have come on home soil this season, while Strasbourg have been very poor on the road, despite an excellent start.
Match preview
© Imago
In a season that has already seen Saint-Etienne lose 8-0 and 4-0 on the road, another low point was hit last weekend, when they handed Angers their first win of the campaign, losing 4-2 at the Stade Raymond-Kopa.
Angers leapfrogged Olivier Dall'Oglio's side after that result, condemning Saint-Etienne to a place in the relegation playoff spot for the time being, having taken just seven points from their opening nine games.
As something of a fallen giant, often European challengers and now relegation candidates, ASSE have taken fewer than 10 points in their opening nine games of a top-flight campaign for the second season running after also doing so when they went down in 2021-22, something that had not happened in their previous 16 Ligue 1 seasons.
Home form has been respectable, though, as Dall'Oglio has seen his side win twice in their first four home games, and a win here would see them record three in their opening five for the first time since 2018.
Strasbourg have been favourable opponents in recent years for Les Verts too, especially at home, winning three and drawing two of the last five meetings between the sides here at the Geoffroy-Guichard.
The visitors have made a very peculiar start to this season, as it has been their best in Ligue 1 for over two decades, having taken 13 points from their opening nine games.
© Imago
That positive start has been no thanks to their results on the road though, as Liam Rosenior is yet to see his side win away from home yet this season.
Poor away form has been endemic all year for Strasbourg, as they have won only once away in the league in 2024 in 13 matches, when they beat Nantes 3-1 back in March, and they have just one point so far this season.
A 3-1 win over Nantes is how they moved into the top half last weekend, though, taking yet more points on home soil; only leaders Paris Saint-Germain have more than Strasbourg's 12.
Rosenior's men are also the neutral's favourite, with 36 goals having been scored in their nine Ligue 1 games so far; only Montpellier's matches have witnessed more goals (37), most of which have gone in their net.
This upcoming fixture will be circled as very winnable despite their poor away form, and they may need to get a positive result, considering Strasbourg's next trio of opponents are all challenging on paper - Monaco, Nice and Brest.
Team News
© Imago
Saint-Etienne remain without the same players still recovering from long-term injuries, so Ibrahima Wadji in attack, Thomas Monconduit in the engine room, and Yvann Macon and Pierre Cornud at the back will sit out again.
One new injury worry for Dall'Oglio concerns Ben Old, who has been missing since returning from New Zealand duty with a knee injury, so Augustine Boakye and Mathieu Cafaro have been the players drafted in, but to no effect as of yet.
Strasbourg will be without defender Marvin Senaya, whose booking against PSG means he will serve a one-match suspension, despite also missing the previous game with a rumoured injury.
The visitors are also without a number of players due to injury, with Emanuel Emegha (knee), Alaa Bellaarouch (groin), Caleb Wiley (knee) and Thomas Delaine (knee), all currently sidelined, but Milos Lukovic could return to the squad after illness.
Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Larsonneur; Appiah, Abdelhamid, Batubinsika, Petrot; Ekwah, Mouton, Bouchouari; Davitashvili, Stassin, Cafaro
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Doue, Sow, Sarr; Bakwa, Doukoure, Andrey Santos, Diego Moreira; Diarra, Mara, Nanasi
We say: Saint-Etienne 2-2 Strasbourg
Saint-Etienne's decent home form paired with Strasbourg's woeful away record suggests the struggling hosts could take something from this encounter.
Strasbourg have become accustomed to high-scoring fixtures so far, and with Les Verts' defensive woes added into the mix, goals at both ends are on the cards here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
