In a crucial clash in Ligue 1‘s relegation battle, at-risk Angers are set to host bottom-of-the-table Montpellier HSC at Stade Raymond Kopa on Sunday.
Le SCO will be desperate to avoid defeat for the first time since February, while La Paillade will be looking to end their own nine-game losing streak.
Match preview
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Alexandre Dujeux‘s Angers have been on a disastrous run of form since their 3-3 draw with fellow-strugglers Saint Etienne back on February 22, losing six on the bounce across all competitions leading up to this weekend’s clash.
Last time out, Le SCO followed up a 3-0 home defeat with another loss at the hands of giants Paris Saint-Germain, a match in which the Parisians secured their fourth straight top-flight title.
Dropping 15 points in Ligue 1 in March and April has left Dujeux’s side on the brink of demotion given that they are now 15th in the table with 27 points, the same number as Le Havre, who currently occupy the division’s relegation playoff spot.
An at-risk team would usually draw inspiration from playing such a crucial game on their own turf, but Sunday’s hosts earned their most recent point and last two wins on the road, and considering that they have lost four league fixtures in a row without scoring at Stade Raymond Kopa, fans would be forgiven for being concerned.
That being said, Angers are up against the bottom club this weekend, and should they make the most of their golden opportunity to put points on the board, then they could find themselves leapfrogging Reims to move up to 14th.
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Meanwhile, Montpellier sacked former boss Jean-Louis Gasset on Monday and appointed ex-PSG assistant and Under-19s coach Zoumana Camara as his replacement, stating that the new manager’s role was to ‘prepare for the future’.
Prior to Camara’s arrival, La Paillade were beaten 2-0 by relegation-rivals Le Havre on April 6, marking the club’s ninth consecutive defeat and leaving them stranded at the foot of the table, 12 points from safety with only six games to play.
Sunday’s hosts will be looking for the new manager bounce to give them a boost against Angers this weekend, and they will certainly need a major change to walk away with anything from the game given that they have shockingly lost all but one of their away matches across all competitions this season.
Should Montpellier take maximum points for the first time since January against Le SCO, then they could narrow the gap to safety to nine points, though their relegation has been all but confirmed at this point.
On the other hand, defeat may leave them 15 behind their opponents and Le Havre, and with only five games remaining after this weekend, La Paillade would almost certainly be the first team demoted to Ligue 2 by the next matchday.
Team News
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Angers are expected to be without midfield duo Harris Belkebla and Pierrick Capelle this weekend as they work their way back from injury, but they should be back in action before the end of April.
In the meantime, midfielder Adrien Hunou and 19-year-old centre-back Emmanuel Biumla will be available for Dujeux, though they are likely to start on the bench as they build fitness.
As for Montpellier, they will be missing centre-back Bamo Meite after he was sent off against Le Havre last time out, so Camara could pair Modibo Sagnan with Yael Mouanga for his first game in charge.
Elsewhere, La Paillade have a trio of defenders that could be back in contention for a place in the squad this weekend after Enzo Tchato, Becir Omeragic and Christopher Julien made their return from injury.
Angers possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Raolisoa, Bamba, Lefort, Hanin, Ekomie; Belkhdim, Abdelli, Aholou; Lepaul, Melali
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Lecomte; Sacko, Mouanga, Sagnan, Sylla; Ferri, Chotard; Coulibaly, Pays, Savanier; Delort
We say: Angers 2-0 Montpellier HSC
Angers have been disastrous in recent weeks and particularly bad at home, but with the threat of relegation closer than ever, they could put in an improved performance against the division’s bottom club.
Additionally, Montpellier have lost all but one of their away games this season, so expect the hosts to take all three points on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
