For the first time since the 2006-07 season, Troyes and Auxerre will meet in a Ligue 1 fixture on Friday at Stade de l'Aube.
ESTAC come into this contest sitting 12th in the table, just a point ahead of Auxerre, who moved two points above the relegation line this past weekend, edging Ajaccio 1-0.
Match preview
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For a third successive league fixture, Bruno Irles saw his team start well last weekend, taking a 1-0 lead over Paris Saint-Germain but ultimately failing to close out the game, eventually falling 4-3.
The fact that they became the first team to lead Les Parisiens twice in a single away game at the Parc des Princes for the first time since Rennes in November 2012 is of little consolation to a side who conceded 12 goals in five matches last month, while failing to win any of their encounters.
They have squandered nine points from winning positions domestically in 2022-23 and are winless in five straight Ligue 1 affairs, with their last triumph coming in September before the international break, 3-1 away to Clermont.
Only one of their three victories in this season's competition has come in the Grand-Est region of north-central France, where they have scored a goal or fewer in three of their six league contests.
Despite this, ESTAC are still unbeaten in their last five Ligue 1 home fixtures, their best run of results at Stade de L'Aube since November 2006 to February 2007, when they did not lose in seven straight domestic affairs at home.
Their 2-2 draw versus Lorient was the fourth consecutive encounter at home in the top flight that they had shared points with their opponents, a first for this club in Ligue 1.
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A 10-year hiatus from Ligue 1 football has come with plenty of setbacks for the small club from Burgundy, who have been hovering near the relegation line since the 2022-23 competition began.
Jean-Marc Furlan was the architect of their return to the top flight, but it will be up to Christophe Pelissier to keep them in Ligue 1 beyond this season.
The 57-year-old, who got Amiens into Ligue 1 for the first time in 2014, began his tenure at AJA with a victory over Ajaccio, becoming the first coach in the history of the club to win his first match in charge in the top flight.
That victory over the weekend ended an eight-match winless run for Auxerre in league play, their longest drought in a domestic campaign since failing to win nine straight contests in Ligue 2 from October to December 2019.
Pelissier has a lot of work to do to improve their structure and organizational play defensively away from home, where Auxerre have conceded multiple goals in five league fixtures this season, having lost four consecutive road games.
Finding more creativity inside the opposition's third of the field might help them win more games, as they are tied for the second-fewest goals scored in Ligue 1 this season and are attempting their shots from the furthest distance on average (20.9 metres).
Team News
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A brace from Mama Balde was not enough for Troyes last Saturday as he and Ante Palaversa each found the back of the net versus PSG, while Rony Lopes scored his first goal since joining them on loan from Sevilla in their previous home outing versus Lorient.
Ike Ugbo had been on the bench to start their last six matches, scoring just once so far in 2022-23 after finishing the previous league campaign tied for the team lead in goals alongside Xavier Chavalerin (five), who also has just a single strike this season.
Florian Tardieu remains sidelined with a sore heel, Lucien Agoume is dealing with a thigh strain and Jessy Moulin has an issue in his shoulder.
Hamza Sakhi picked up his first of the season for Auxerre in their victory last weekend, as Benoit Costil only had to make one stop for his second clean sheet of the campaign, both of which have come at home.
The third-highest goalscorer in Ligue 2 a season ago, Gaetan Charbonnier, made his second successive appearance on the substitutes bench last weekend, replacing Lassine Sinayoko with fewer than 10 minutes remaining after he had missed nine consecutive games before that through injury.
Youssouf M'Changama is out with a calf strain, and Brayann Pereira could be available to return for this match after previously sustaining a knock.
Kays Ruiz-Atil has an unknown injury, and M'baye Niang will not feature on Friday after obtaining a straight red card early in the second half against Ajaccio.
Troyes possible starting lineup:
Gallon; Conte, Salmier, Palmer-Brown, Rami, T. Balde; Chavalerin, Kouame, Lopes; Ripart, M. Balde
Auxerre possible starting lineup:
Costil; Raveloson, Jubal, Jeanvier, Mensah; Sinayoko, Toure, Sakhi, Hein; Charbonnier, Da Costa
We say: Troyes 1-1 Auxerre
As the standings indicate, these are two evenly-matched teams, though Troyes might have a little more quality in the attack.
Auxerre looked sharp along the backline last weekend, and we expect them to hold firm on Friday, as the message from their new boss seems to be resonating early on.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
