After a disappointing defeat to Rennes in the league and a 4-0 home defeat to Freiburg in the Europa League, Nantes will be hoping they can finally pick up a win as they play the only side below them in the league, Brest, at Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday.
Their opposition are on the hunt for a new manager after Michel Der Zakarian was let go by the club this week, with reserve team manager Bruno Grougi set to take charge until a replacement is named.
Match preview
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If Nantes were hoping that their Europa League game against Freiburg was going to give them a break from their league form and potentially inspire some confidence, it may have had the opposite effect, as they were slaughtered 4-0 by their German opponents.
After winning the French Cup last season, manager Antoine Kombouare may still have some credit left in the bank, with it being reported last week that the club's president has confidence in him and believes there are some mitigating circumstances to the start of the season including a tough fixture schedule and a packed fixture list due to European involvement.
Their top scorer from last campaign, Randal Kolo Muani, also left in the summer for the Bundesliga to join Eintracht Frankfurt. Ludovic Blas, who also contributed double-figure goals last season has yet to find that form, only scoring once in seven starts in the league.
If Nantes can find a victory against Brest and gain some much-needed confidence and momentum, they are also still in with an outside chance of finishing second in their Europa League group if they can pick up three points against Qarabag.
Playing the only side worse than them in the league and a team who have just sacked their manager is a perfect opportunity for this Nantes side, who clearly have the talent as shown last season, with a solid league placing and their cup win.
Brest have six points from 10 games and sit bottom of the table, which led to the sacking of Michel Der Zakarian, even after a relatively successful year last season when they finished 11th, their best league position since returning to the French top flight.
The newly-appointed temporary manager of Brest Grougi, if he is still manager on Sunday, will not be able to appear on the touchline after he was sent off in his last game in charge in the French third division.
On the pitch, it is hard to see any positives, only picking up two points in their last six games, but some narrow defeats by one goal may be one thing to take encouragement from, especially after a 7-0 loss to Montpellier in August.
A new manager could look to players like Franck Honorat to help recover their disastrous season so far, as he scored 11 times last season but has only netted once in this campaign.
With the gap between Brest at the bottom and Strasbourg in 14th being only two points, this season can be recovered and it is important to move up the table as four teams are being automatically relegated this season compared to the two that got demoted last campaign, with one playoff as well.
Team News
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After conceding three goals to Rennes in their last league game, Nantes rotated the right side of their defence for the fixture against Freiburg, which did not seem to help as they conceded four times, so Dennis Appiah and Jean-Charles Castelletto could come back into the team.
A 4-3-3 which was used against Rennes could be the best option to attack a fragile Brest side, giving Blas and Moses Simon the freedom to show off the offensive talent they have, Blas who showcased his talent last season and Simon who has scored three times so far this campaign.
After rotating three out of the four members of their defence in their last fixture and with the sacking of their manager, it is hard to predict how this Brest side will line up; Grougi will most likely pick the experienced players he can rely on.
Brendan Chardonnet and Lilian Brassier have been the defenders that have appeared the most this season so far and it is likely that those two will be relied upon to help anchor this defence, with Chardonnet being the only defender to keep his place across the last two fixtures.
The 4-2-3-1 used against Auxerre would seem like the best formation to provide stability, whilst also giving Brest some attacking potential. Islam Slimani, who led the line and scored in that fixture, may be given that responsibility again.
Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Merlin, Pallois, Castelletto, Appiah; Chirivella, Moutoussamy, Sissoko; Simon, Mohamed, Blas
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Brassier, Herelle, Chardonnet, Duverne; Lees-Melou, Belkebla, Lage, Douaron, Honorat; Slimani
We say: Nantes 2-1 Brest
Nantes have struggled in their previous games but come up against a Brest side who have just changed manager and whilst that could lead to a new manager bounce, the talent of the Nantes side is still there and should be enough to trouble the Brest defence.
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