Three weeks after the original match was postponed due to COVID-19, Angers and Saint-Etienne prepare to fight in the Ligue 1 clash on Wednesday 26 January at the Stade Raymond Kopa. Gerald Baticle’s side beat Troyes 2-1 at the weekend, while the next guests were defeated 1-0 by Lyon. The kick-off for Angers vs Saint-Etienne is scheduled for 7pm.
Angers vs Saint-Etienne match preview: where are the two teams?
Angers
Failing to maintain promising early-season form, Angers are now out of the European fight and will have to fight to regain the top half of the table in 2022, but last time Thomas Mangani’s skill from 12 meters made them. win against Troyes. The newly promoted threaten to surprise when Brandon Domingues pounces on a loose ball to open the scoring after 11 minutes, but Mangini equalizes from the point after Billal Brahimi is knocked down before repeating the trick after Mathias Pereira Lage falls in area. Angers’ first win of 2022 set them up well for a push to the top half in their rescheduled midweek match, as Les Scoistes now occupy 12th place in the standings after 21 games – just two points adrift of Lyon. and three behind under-performing champions Lille. Hit hard by absentees from the Africa Cup this month, Angers’ inconsistency on their own turf has also plagued their attempt at a surprise European push, but the sparsely populated Stade Raymond Kopa certainly expects another positive show against the championship baseball team.
Saint Etienne
While Angers were on the right side of penalty calls during weekend matches, Saint-Etienne cursed a corner kick for their opponent in their defeat to Lyon in an empty Groupama Stadium, when Timothee Kolodziejczak knocked down Moussa Dembele in the area. Dembele got to his feet before calmly slipping the ensuing penalty, and Saint-Etienne also saw Anthony Lopes hold off a Mahdi Camara header in the Derby Rhone-Alpes, as Ligue 2 continue to call on the Verts. Having lost each of their last seven games in the French top flight – with the nomination of Pascal Dupraz who has not yet led to a turnaround – Saint-Etienne remain at the bottom of the table and are eight points behind the confidence of 17. Th place with one game less. Dupraz’s men have only two wins in Coupe de France against low-league opponents to brag about over the holiday period and have only found the bottom of the net twice in their miserable seven-game losing streak in Ligue 1, with their latest away goal in the league that dates back to November. That statistic is unlikely to be improved as Dupraz works with depleted resources in the final third, but they managed to keep Angers at a 2-2 draw in October, with Mickael Nade finding a draw in the 94th minute.
All Ligue 1 matches
News from the teams
Angers quartet Sofiane Boufal, Stephane Bahoken, Enzo Ebosse and Azzedine Ounahi have earned their call-up to this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, with Cameroon and Morocco entering the knockout stages as expected. Souleyman Doumbia is serving the second of a two-game ban following his red card against Lorient on January 16, while Romain Thomas, Zinedine Ould Khaled and teenage sensation Mohamed-Ali Cho all grapple with injuries. Jimmy Cabot left the field against Troyes with a shot to the ankle and emerged as a doubt for this contest, so Abdoulaye Bamba or Pierrick Capelle could be back on the pitch. Meanwhile, Saint-Etienne have their own AFCON absentees with Harold Moukoudi, Yvan Neyou, Saidou Sow, Wahbi Khazri and Denis Bouanga, leaving Dupraz very short on top. It is unknown whether Paul Bernardoni and Sada Thioub will be allowed to face their home club, but Eliaquim Mangala and Joris Gnagnon are doomed to miss, with the two men arriving at the club after the date the match was originally scheduled. Etienne Green could return to goal if Bernardoni is unable to play, while Bakary Sako and Jean-Philippe Krasso offer options to change up front, but Romain Hamouma, Miguel Trauco and Ryad Boudebouz will remain out.
Probable formations Angers vs Saint-Etienne
Angers possible starting lineup:
Petkovic; Mendy, Traore, Manceau; Bamba, Bentaleb, Mangani, Fulgini, Lage; Brahimi, Ninga
Saint-Etienne possible starting line-up:
Green; Macon, Nade, Kolodziejczak, Silva; Camara, Gourna-Douath; Nordin, Aouchiche, Sako; Krasso
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