Preview: Auxerre vs. Nantes – prediction, team news, lineups

Nantes could secure their Ligue 1 status for another season with a positive result at Auxerre in Saturday’s gameweek 33 contest at Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps.

The Yellow Canaries travel to the safe 10th-placed hosts, seeking an encouraging result to steer clear of Le Havre in the relegation playoff spot.

Match preview

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When Auxerre secured promotion to Ligue 1 at the first attempt after one year away, the Burgundians’ ambition was likely to avoid immediate relegation.

Christophe Pelissier‘s team have accomplished just that, as highlighted by AJA’s 10th-placed standing heading into the penultimate fixture of the 2024-25 campaign.

Having secured their place in the league for next season, Pelissier’s players will aim to claim maximum points in their final home fixture this term, hoping to avoid a third consecutive defeat in front of their supporters.

The ongoing form in Burgundy pales in comparison to their early league fixtures at home, where they won seven and drew five in their opening 14 games at Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps, suffering just two defeats.

Aiming to avoid losing four of five games on their turf, Auxerre hope the historical advantage of entering Saturday’s game on a six-match winning streak against Nantes at home stands them in good stead against relegation-threatened visitors.

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Antoine Kombouare‘s men enter the penultimate weekend not out of the woods, as they sit just a place and a point clear of the relegation playoff spot.

With 16th-placed Le Havre hosting Roberto De Zerbi‘s second-placed Marseille, maximum points for the Yellow Canaries will take them four points clear of the team below them, thereby confirming participation in next season’s competition.

However, that outcome is contingent on La Maison Jaune ending a six-match losing run in Ligue 1 fixtures at this weekend’s hosts.

Kombouare’s men must also break free from a dismal away record, which has seen them lose four of their previous top-flight fixtures on the road, including a 7-1 defeat at Monaco, and their failure to maintain a clean sheet in 15 consecutive matches away from home.

Nantes, who have won just three away games this term, have not kept an away Ligue 1 shutout since a goalless encounter at Toulouse in August.

This failure to keep clean sheets on the road and a poor record in Burgundy could mean supporters of the Yellow Canaries may face entering the final weekend still uncertain of which division they will play in next season.

Team News

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Although Auxerre do not have a lengthy list of absentees, Hamed Traore, Nathan Buayi-Kiala and Kevin Danois are expected to miss out due to injury.

Without the absent Traore, who has netted 10 Ligue 1 goals this term, the Burgundians will look to Gaetan Perrin to add to his nine top-flight strikes on Saturday.

Nantes will be without the suspended Nicolas Cozza, while Sekou Doucoure, Saidou Sow and Meschack Elia are injured.

Although Matthis Abline leads the scoring charts for the Canaries with eight goals, Moses Simon (seven) and Mostafa Mohamed (five) could determine the outcome for Kombouare’s squad.

In addition to his seven goals, Simon’s nine assists mean the wide attacker poses a dual threat in the attacking third, possibly making him the away side’s most dangerous player with 16 goal contributions.

Auxerre possible starting lineup:
Leon; Diomande, Jubal, Akpa; Hoever, Perrin, Diousse, Oppegard; Sinayoko, Onaiwu; Bair

Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lopes; Centonze, Castelletto, Zeze, Amian; Augusto, Chirivella, Lepenant; Albine, Mohamed, Simon

We say: Auxerre 1-1 Nantes

While Auxerre hold the historical edge over Nantes at home, Saturday’s contest is difficult to predict due to the hosts not performing well on their turf and the Canaries struggling for clean sheets and results on their travels.

Thus, the spoils could be shared in a score draw in Burgundy, potentially causing Les Canaris to slip into the bottom three if Le Havre beat Marseille.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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