Relegation-favourites Angers welcome Nantes to the Stade Raymond-Kopa in Ligue 1 on Sunday evening.

Angers are one of two clubs still yet to taste victory after four games this season, while Nantes have emerged as possible European candidates following a fine start.

Match preview

Coming into the new season as the favourites to be instantly relegated back to Ligue 2, Angers have done little to convince football fans otherwise in the opening month of the campaign.

Alexandre Dujeux's side have been hugely disappointing so far, taking just one point from their opening four games, with goal difference the only thing keeping them off the foot of the table at present.

Their solitary point came last weekend, ending their 100% losing start to the season, holding Strasbourg to a 1-1 draw on the road, as striker Bamba Dieng scored the club's first open-play goal since returning to the top flight.

Angers' relegation in 2022-23 was largely down to their woeful home form, and little seems to have changed, with two defeats to start, extending a run of 13 losses in their last 17 Ligue 1 games at the Raymond-Kopa.

Leaking goals is the glaring issue, as Angers have conceded over two goals-per-game in their previous 20 home matches, and already let in eight in four across all venues this season.

Even in that disastrous league campaign, Angers did not have so few points at this stage, as it is their worst start to a league season for 60 years.

The one statistic Nantes will take most confidence from ahead of this fixture is that they are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Angers.

Antoine Kombouare's side should not need much lifting, though, as they have made a very promising start to the season, sitting in fifth despite suffering their first defeat of 2024-25 last weekend.

After taking seven points from their opening three games, a 91st-minute winner from Reims last week may stunt momentum slightly, but Nantes are facing ideal opponents in their attempts to get back on the winning trail.

The international break came at the wrong time, as Kombouare saw his side win back-to-back matches heading into it, but then suffer defeat on their return.

Playing at home is something the Canaries have most definitely not enjoyed in 2024 though, as they have now remarkably lost 10 of their last 11 on home soil.

It is away from home where Nantes find most of their success, as 11 away games in this calendar year have yielded an impressive 19 points - their best-ever points-per-game tally on the road in a single year to date.

Team News

Angers are set to be without Justin-Noel Kalumba, who is recovering from a broken ankle, and Joseph Lopy due to an unspecified injury picked up earlier this month.

On his first start for Angers since arriving from Lorient on loan, striker Dieng netted against Strasbourg and last week's draw, and he could well be their biggest hope of moving away from trouble this season, having scored 17 Ligue 1 goals already in an injury-hit young career.

Kombouare has numerous injury concerns still hanging over his Nantes side heading into this clash, with Fabien Centonze and Adel Mahamoud still out long-term with ACL injuries.

Coming closer to returning are Mostafa Mohamed and Nicolas Cozza, but Florent Mollet's broken ankle could keep him out for slightly longer.

Jean-Philippe Gbamin made his debut as a late substitute in the defeat to Reims, as his introduction failed to help Nantes see out a point, and the ex-Everton and Mainz midfielder could remain on the bench for this one.

Angers possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Arcus, Biumla, Lefort, Hanin; Belkebla, Aholou, Abdelli; Allevinah, Dieng, El Melali

Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Amian, Castelletto, Pallois, Duverne; Lepenant, Pedro Chirivella, Douglas Augusto; Kadewere, Abline, Simon

We say: Angers 0-2 Nantes

Despite a well-earned draw last weekend, Angers have not been able to prove they can compete with sides of higher quality in Ligue 1 yet this season.

Defeats to Nice, Lille and Lens suggest another could be in store against a Nantes side that have started off well and love playing away from home.


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