Saint-Etienne vs Montpellier Preview: Team News & Prediction
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Saint-Etienne started this season slowly but have since improved before the break as they begin the weekend in the relegation playoff place up against a Montpellier Herault side that begin the match day rock-bottom in Ligue 1.
Kick-off date/time: Saturday 23rd November, 2024: UK – 6:00pm / US ET – 1:00pm / US PT – 10:00am
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – beIN Sports
How to watch online: UK – Ligue 1 pass / US – beIN Sports
Saint-Etienne Preview: Improved ASSE
Following promotion back to the top-flight of French football last season, one of France’s fallen giants have started the season steadily but they do begin this weekend’s round of fixtures sitting third-from-bottom and in the relegation playoff place in Ligue 1 with three victories, a draw and seven defeats in their opening 11 matches.
Coached by former Montpellier Herault boss Olivier Dall’Oglio, ASSE come into this one on the back of a slender 1-0 defeat to Olympique Lyonnais in Derby Rhone-Alpes a couple of weeks ago in a game whereby they were unfortunate not to take a point, which is reflective in the improvement of their performances after a really poor start to the campaign.
Montpellier Preview: Struggling Montpellier
With Ligue 1 reducing from 20 to 18 teams in the summer of 2023, it appeared a matter of time that mid-table sides such as Montpellier Herault would be dragged into consistent relegation battles and that appears to be the case this time as they begin the weekend sitting tucked inside the bottom two and the automatic relegation places.
However, following the sacking of Armenian coach Michel Der Zakarian and replacing him with boyhood Montpellier fan and former Ivory Coast boss Jean-Louis Gasset, they did earn a much-needed victory in their most recent outing a couple of weeks ago, defeating Stade Brest by three goals to one.
Saint-Etienne Team News: Several injuries
Saint-Etienne are dealing with a few key injury concerns for this weekend’s clash with Montpellier as both Anthony Briancon and Mickael Nade are sidelined.
As well as those two injury absentees, Saint-Etienne are without New Zealand international attacking midfielder Ben Old, who has been absent for a couple of months.
Predicted XI (4-1-4-1): Larsonneur; Macon, Batubinsika, Abdelhamid, Petrot; Ekwah; Boakye, Bouchouari, Mouton, Davitashvili; Stassin
Unavailable: Briancon (Injured), Nade (Injured), Old (Injured)
Questionable:
Montpellier Team News: Several absentees
Montpellier are dealing with a couple of injuries and suspensions ahead of this weekend as both Birama Toure and Jordan Ferri are missing through suspension for this one.
The visitors are also dealing with several injury concerns such as Kiki Kouyate, Becir Omeragic, Jordan Ferri, Joris Chotard and key attacker Theo Sainte-Luce.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Lecomte; Tchato, Maksimovic, Sagnan, Sylla; Nzingoula, Ferri; Al Tamari, Khazri, Nordin; Adams
Unavailable: Kouyate (Injured), Omeragic (Injured), Toure (Suspended), Fayad (Injured), Ferri (Suspended), Chotard (Injured), Mincarelli (Injured), Issoufou (Injured), Sainte-Luce (Injured)
Questionable:
Saint-Etienne vs Montpellier Prediction
As mentioned, Saint-Etienne have improved as the season has gone on and they look like a side that can really fight relegation in a proper manner with the help of former Montpellier coach Olivier Dall’Oglio and his defensive style of football. Montpellier are also in shutdown mode and playing in a counter-attacking manner with the aid of Jean-Louis Gasset so this is unlikely to be a thriller for the neutral this weekend.
Saint-Etienne vs Montpellier Tip: Under 2.5 goals
