Nantes are set to take on struggling Saint-Etienne on Sunday afternoon, aiming to continue their phenomenal start to the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season.
The hosts are fifth in the league with eight points after five outings, while the visitors are 17th with just three points from one win and four losses.
Match preview
![Antoine Kombouare, coach of FC Nantes during his side's match against Montpellier on April 26, 2024 [on August 9, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/antoine-kombouare.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Antoine Kombouare, coach of FC Nantes during his side's match against Montpellier on April 26, 2024 [on August 9, 2024]")
© Imago
Nantes have faced significant inconsistency in Ligue 1 over recent seasons, narrowly avoiding relegation in 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2023-24, while achieving a ninth-place finish and securing European football in 2021-22.
Antoine Kombouare, who previously managed Nantes from February 2021 to May 2023, returned to the helm in March 2024, and despite struggling towards the end of the last campaign with only two wins in the final eight league matches, his team have made a strong start to the new season.
They have won two, drawn two and lost one of their opening five Ligue 1 fixtures, leaving them fifth in the standings with eight points, though they could drop as low as 13th depending on results this weekend.
Kombouare will, however, be confident his side can continue their positive run with another victory on Sunday as his side prepare to face a St Etienne outfit that have struggled to adapt to life back in the top flight.
St Etienne booked their return to Ligue 1 for the first time since a dismal relegation in 2021-22 as they won the Ligue 2 playoffs last season, but they have faced extreme difficulty so far this term.
After five matches, St Etienne have recorded just one win and four losses, leaving them in 17th place in the standings with only three points.
Olivier Dall'Oglio would have been encouraged by their impressive 1-0 victory over Lille on matchday four, but that optimism was quickly shattered by a staggering 8-0 defeat to Nice in the subsequent matchday.
That result means St Etienne have already conceded 15 goals in just five outings, marking their worst-ever defensive record at this stage of a top-flight campaign.
Dall'Oglio will be eager for his team to rebound positively from that recent defeat, but they will undoubtedly enter Sunday's game as the underdogs.
Team News
© Imago
The hosts will be without Bahereba Guirassy, Fabien Centonze, Jean-Kevin Duverne and Tino Kadewere for this match due to a variety of injury issues.
Florent Mollet is also set to continue on the sidelines, with the attacking midfielder still yet to make his first appearance of the 2024-25 season.
The visitors are expected to be without several players for this match due to an injury crisis, with seven players anticipated to miss out.
Anthony Briancon, Augustine Boakye, Ibrahima Wadji, Mahmoud Bentayg, Thomas Monconduit, Yvann Macon and Pierre Cornud are all likely to sit out due to injury.
Elsewhere, a number of changes are expected to the starting 11 after recording a horrific 8-0 defeat to Nice in their most recent outing.
Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Amian, Castelletto, Pallois, Cozza; Augusto, Chirivella; Thomas, Lepenant, Simon; Abline
Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Larsonneur; Appiah, Batubinsika, Abdelhamid, Petrot, Nade; Davitashvili, Ekwah, Old, Cafaro; Sissoko
We say: Nantes 3-1 Saint-Etienne
The visitors will be extremely low on confidence after their heavy defeat last time out, while the hosts should be in good spirits following their strong start to the campaign.
St Etienne have conceded an astonishing 15 goals in just five league fixtures, something Nantes will be looking to take advantage of, and we expect them to score a number of goals in a comfortable win here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
